In 2014, Macita was facing many hardships in life, including raising her son, Cody, who was born premature, while involved in an abusive relationship. It was at a Woman, Infants, and Children (WIC) location where she noticed a flyer for Matrix Human Services and decided to reach out and learn more about its resources.
From there, it seemed as though her life started to turn around. It didn’t take long after meeting with someone from Matrix for Macita to enroll Cody in its Head Start program at JBN Samaritan in Detroit. Cody, now 4, has been attending for over two years now, while her younger son Macai, 2, has been attending for one. Macita credits the school with not only teaching her sons important foundational skills such as colors, shapes, 123s and ABCs but also for helping them with potty training as well.
As her sons’ learning and behavioral skills advanced, Macita worked with her family advocate to start online classes through Matrix’s high school completion program, Ed to Go. Upon graduation, she will earn her GED and skilled trade, bringing her one step closer to her goal of becoming a Head Start teacher for Matrix.
“Matrix was the best thing to happen to my family,” she said. “Everyone is very encouraging and they really helped build my self-esteem as I continue to work toward a better future.”
Three years after her initial discussion with her family advocate, both of Macita’s children are still enrolled in Matrix’s Head Start program and she is just seven months away from earning her GED.
“Head Start is a wonderful program that really helps prepare children for kindergarten, as well as help them form important social skills.” Macita added, “The entire staff at Matrix is very compassionate, encouraging, helpful, and provides the assistance you need.”
