‘1 in 5’ Episode 15: Meet Shaquana Graham
Shaquana Graham is a single mother of three beautiful children. She lives in The Bronx, NY, and is currently a full-time student at Bronx Community College. She will be transferring to Lehman College, CUNY in Fall of 2021.
Shaquana is part of LIFT, an organization dedicated to helping low-income families build strong personal, social and financial foundations, including securing stable employment and building credit.
Shaquana was recently diagnosed with Lupus, an autoimmune disease that can affect different body systems. She joined The Lupus Foundation, to share her story and help others by being an advocate and motivating those who struggle everyday with this disease.
Shaquana is an optimistic and driven individual who believes in fighting for what you want, and never giving up.
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/1.png)
Listen
You can read the episode transcript here.
Resources
LIFT is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit and works with families to break the cycle of poverty by using a two generation approach. They have offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C.
CUNY EDGE’s mission is to help CUNY students who are receiving public assistance achieve academic excellence, graduate on time, and find employment.
Manhattan Educational Opportunity Center (MEOC) delivers student-centered academic and workforce development programs and serves as a gateway to access further education, career achievement, personal growth, and self-sufficiency for adult learners in the NYC area.
Student Parent Stories
Related Posts
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bridgeport_4-1024x683-1-768x512.jpeg)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bridgeport_4-1024x683-1-768x512.jpeg)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Yoslin-Amya_3-1-768x513.jpg)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Yoslin-Amya_3-1-768x513.jpg)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Eugene-Chrisler_IMG_0040-768x512.jpeg)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Eugene-Chrisler_IMG_0040-768x512.jpeg)
![Graphic showing Yoslin Amaya Hernandez against the blue arc of Ascend's brand. Left of her is a photo of her with her daughter, and to her right is a photo of her at a policy meeting.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Untitled-design-30-768x432.png)
![Graphic showing Yoslin Amaya Hernandez against the blue arc of Ascend's brand. Left of her is a photo of her with her daughter, and to her right is a photo of her at a policy meeting.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Untitled-design-30-768x432.png)
![Graphic with text that says "Announcing the 2023-24 Parent-Powered Solutions Fund Partners" and features Ascend's 2023 Parent Advisors against a blue backdrop.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Website_Blog_Banner_PSP_Phase3-800-x-400-px-768x384.png)
![Graphic with text that says "Announcing the 2023-24 Parent-Powered Solutions Fund Partners" and features Ascend's 2023 Parent Advisors against a blue backdrop.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Website_Blog_Banner_PSP_Phase3-800-x-400-px-768x384.png)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Sydney_Martens-768x512.jpg)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Sydney_Martens-768x512.jpg)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/F5SocialMedia-336-1-768x547.jpg)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/F5SocialMedia-336-1-768x547.jpg)
![Graphic featuring a photo of Michaela Martin, Yolanda Johnson-Peterkin, Ariel Ventura-Lazo, and Dr. Daria Willis.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Copy-of-1in5_BonusEp2_Header_Graphic-768x280.png)
![Graphic featuring a photo of Michaela Martin, Yolanda Johnson-Peterkin, Ariel Ventura-Lazo, and Dr. Daria Willis.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Copy-of-1in5_BonusEp2_Header_Graphic-768x280.png)
![Headshots of 4 Fellows](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/WP_FeatureImage_Fship_Announce-768x503.png)
![Headshots of 4 Fellows](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/WP_FeatureImage_Fship_Announce-768x503.png)
![Graphic showing a student's hand holding a graduation cap against a blue background.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/1in5_BonusEp1_Header_Graphic-2-768x280.png)
![Graphic showing a student's hand holding a graduation cap against a blue background.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/1in5_BonusEp1_Header_Graphic-2-768x280.png)
![Group photo of Ascend Parent Advisors standing outside in Aspen, Colorado with their arms outstretched upward.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Pando_Convening_Blog_Cover-768x512.jpg)
![Group photo of Ascend Parent Advisors standing outside in Aspen, Colorado with their arms outstretched upward.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Pando_Convening_Blog_Cover-768x512.jpg)
![Graphic featuring headshot photos of Dr. Deana Around Him, Julian Thompson, and David Croom.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1in5_BonusEp1_Header_Graphic-768x280.png)
![Graphic featuring headshot photos of Dr. Deana Around Him, Julian Thompson, and David Croom.](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1in5_BonusEp1_Header_Graphic-768x280.png)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/VXC_Blog_Cover-768x432.png)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/VXC_Blog_Cover-768x432.png)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Website_Blog_Banner_PSP_Phase3-1-768x432.png)
![](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Website_Blog_Banner_PSP_Phase3-1-768x432.png)
![A collection of different photos featuring Christian Ortiz, his daughter, and his mother](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Screenshot-2023-06-15-at-1.34.59-AM-768x367.png)
![A collection of different photos featuring Christian Ortiz, his daughter, and his mother](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Screenshot-2023-06-15-at-1.34.59-AM-768x367.png)