I have worked in direct service all my life with first-gen students across various non-profits throughout Pierce and King country. With the new volunteer manager role, I’ve thought about how my experiences have influenced me to take on developing the volunteer program at NW Education Access and where I envision it to be.

Due to a neurodivergent brain, I have found myself dropping out of college after the first quarter or month. This is not only about understanding where to go for classes or following the work, but even simple things like finding where to get my ID card or who to talk to about what. I learn differently, and to succeed I need support constantly. I don’t always know what I need even when there is a problem, but with an advocate on my side, like NW Education Access, I am less likely to give up now.

It was a summer night, and I was ten years old. I sat on the living room floor, rubbing my mother’s tense shoulders and sore back. It must have been a particularly grueling day at the farm because the Tiger Balm, a topical pain reliever balm and Laotian household staple, was immediately brought out after dinner and put to good use.

What does learning throughout COVID-19 look like? Five NWEA students weigh in.

During these trying times, I want to be able to look back and think I did my best to positively change this world and our communities.

Nicollette Roe, long-time staffer, is NWEA’s first official Education Advocate serving Tacoma. Read about what it means to her to work in the community she’s from.

We’re so pleased to announce our incoming AmeriCorps members who have chosen NWEA as their service site for the year! Even as virtual tutoring becomes critical, our members are bringing the passion and the skills to help smooth out what’s sure to be an unusual academic year.

Sometimes you need a wine night with the girls to reset! Little did I know that my wine night would lead to a nonprofit collaboration…

One day, a very nice and respectful old coworker told me:

“If you really want to do something in your life, leave this place, get an education, and look for a better job. Look at me, I have been working here for more than 20 years, and nothing has changed for good for me.”

What do you do when life throws a curveball? You’re supposed to keep your eye on the ball, but how? 

Laura has been an ardent supporter of SEA since 2008. In that time, Laura has acted as a program partner at two colleges and served as a member of our board of directors – and now we’re thrilled to have her as our leader!

My first meeting with my Education Advocate was one of the most unexpected moments of my life. She told me there could be a way for me to go back to school if I completed the GED. I still don’t know how to describe how I felt after that moment. Excitement? Hope? That I was finally going to go back to school, that I might still have another chance to see my dream come true?