”My home life was pretty crazy as a kid,” says Tenesha. “My mom chose alcohol over being a nurturing mother. But I always found a sense of normalcy at school.”

From grade school on, Tenesha dove into books and homework, and she always made the honor roll. Education was her escape from home — and her hope for a better future. She dreamed of one day becoming a lawyer, but after graduating from high school she had her first child. At first, she tried attending college and raising her daughter, but when the money got tight she had to give up her dream.

In 2015, the bottom dropped out when Tenesha became a single parent. Her kids started struggling in school, but someone recommended Cross Trainers Academy, where they are now currently enrolled. Her children thrived immediately, and today she sees the same passion for learning in them that she had as a child.

“I love the curriculum and I love the fact that my kids are being challenged academically,” Tenesha says. “I especially love that they’re learning about Jesus and the grace we have in Him. They don’t just worship God in church, but all week long now.”

Tenesha also appreciates how Cross Trainers Academy not only cares about her individual kids, but her entire family as a whole. “My kids never have to worry about whether or not they’ll have school supplies. They’ve even helped my family out with food when we needed it,” she says.
Tenesha also started a new job as a teacher’s assistant at Cross Trainers Academy. “This isn’t just a job to me,” she says. “Working here, I’m learning about God just like my kids. It isn’t just work. I come to serve God and love on all these children. I found my passion again.”