'1 in 5' Episode 10: Meet Lorena Barton - Ascend at the Aspen Institute

Lorena is a single mother in the process of rebuilding her life. Though it has been challenging, she wouldn’t change a thing. Being a mother has not only been her greatest joy, but it has allowed her to find her vocation and pursue her lifelong love of health and science.

Lorena Barton is a single mother and a recent graduate of Los Angeles Valley College. Lorena is passionate about helping families and has plans to work in public health nursing.

After studying full-time for over a year at LAVC, she has recently begun her nursing program at Loma Linda University. She currently attends school full-time while working part-time at LAVC’s Family Resource Center. She finds it enriching and rewarding to be able to help other student parents at the same place where she herself received so much support.

Lorena says, “When you’re following your dreams, there is a drive inside of you that allows you to push hard and accomplish whatever’s needed to reach your goals.”

Listen

You can read the episode transcript here.

Resources

LAVC Family Resource Center strives to advance social and economic mobility by reducing barriers to higher education and jobs through integrating support services for underserved populations.

CalWORKs is a public assistance program that provides cash aid and services to eligible families that have a child(ren) in the home. The program serves all 58 counties in the state and is operated locally by county welfare departments.

Postsecondary Success for Parents, the PSP initiative, is a partnership between Ascend at the Aspen Institute and Imaginable Futures.