Meet L.C., a brilliant 23-year-old scholar and advocate shaping a bright future in healthcare!

L.C., a California native, is smart, industrious, and has been attending college with the ultimate goal of becoming a nurse practitioner. Last year, however, they faced severe housing instability and were uncertain if they could keep themselves on the path to that dream.

“I left an abusive relationship and also began transitioning a little over a year ago,” said L.C. “It was all so much at once. I knew I had to end the daily trauma I was experiencing with my former partner but I had nowhere to go.”

L.C., who identifies as non-binary, was at a turning point in their life. They were finally fully embracing who they had always been, and at the same time…coming to terms with the abuse of a person they had trusted for nearly a decade.

“It was a hard process, but if I did not move on…I knew I would not survive,” they explained.

Attending school at LA Valley College and also working during the day, then bouncing in between friends’ apartments in the evenings, L.C. found the instability difficult. Yet, their commitment to education never wavered.

Seeking housing resources, they went to Valley College’s basic needs center and learned about the Seed House Project. L.C. found a stable foundation through Seed House Project’s two-year residential program, where all of members’ basic needs are met and meals are provided. The organization also offers life skills training, financial literacy, college support, and an array of personal development activities to uplift members to lives of personal success.

“Seed House Project is incredible,” they said. “Purpose Therapy has been helping me a lot and this community is amazing.”

L.C. appreciates the friends they have made and also how nurturing and supportive staff members have been. They enjoy thriving with our community support, attending advancement events, exploring new places in LA, sharing meals, and participating in life skills workshops intended to build community and knowledge.

“Seed House Project is not only a place I’ve learned to call home, it gave me a new definition of what home can be,” L.C. shared.

Today, L.C. is a powerhouse in the community. On top of working as a Peer Navigation Specialist for unhoused youth at Youth Protection (a sub-department for the City of Los Angeles), they recently completed an internship advocating for youth sexual health at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

L.C.’s determination to enter the medical field is stronger than ever. Now training as a phlebotomist and taking concrete steps toward their higher education, L.C. has made the exciting decision to attend an associate degree nursing program to jumpstart their clinical career while continuing to apply to other top schools and scholarships. They ultimately plan to become a nurse practitioner focusing on pediatric oncology or endocrinology.

We are so honored to walk alongside L.C. on their path to purpose and success!