“A lot of kids need a voice, and I would like to help out,” says Abby Comee-McCourt, herself a former foster child adopted at age 16. As a student at the University of Maine at Augusta, Abby has already found a way to help. Majoring in Criminal Justice, she has been appointed by the Governor to serve on the statewide Juvenile Justice Advisory Group.
“I always knew I wanted to be in the juvenile field, but I wasn’t sure what or how,” Abby says. As a single parent, she knew she was unable to support herself and her son with her fast-food restaurant job.
Meeting individually with a Women, Work and Community coordinator, Abby was able to choose a viable career field and develop a plan to meet her goal. Through the Financing Your Future money management class, she learned how she could help pay for her education with a Family Development Account through WWC.
Over 18 months, Abby saved $1,500 through the program, which was then matched 2 to 1. “I was able to pay for a whole semester and more without borrowing money,” she says.