This Is Germanna
Some arrive knowing exactly where they’re going. Others are figuring it out. Some are starting. Some are starting over.
This Is Germanna. One story at a time.
Kaitlyn Lamb · September 9, 2026
I left Virginia for Atlanta right out of high school. I had $500 and a suitcase. I knew one person. When I got there, it was not the situation I was expecting. I found myself at a crossroads. I stuck it out. I found a job as a server and got certified as a make-up artist. I spent 10 years there.
I never planned on being a mom. After I found out I was pregnant, I moved back to Virginia. When you become a mom, you have to face a lot of things you could get away with ignoring your whole life. I didn’t have an ideal childhood. My father is incarcerated. Some of my family members have struggled with addiction. I was raised by my grandparents.
Your kid is going to see what you do. Kids absorb everything. You’re their first role model. When it’s hard, you’ve got to keep going. Because they’re watching you.
When someone told me to go back to school, I was like, ‘Get real.’ I didn’t think I was going to be able to pull this off. I started and just didn’t give up. It’s given me a lot more confidence and a sense of belonging.
Being a single parent is a struggle. Some people won’t see your dream or vision, but it’s not theirs to see. You’ve got to find people who do. You’ve got to surround yourself with people who do. Once you come to Germanna, you will find someone who will support you. You have no idea how many people will root for you, people who don’t even know you.
You might not get there on a straight road. Success is not like that. It’s up and down and you might go backwards a few times. But eventually, you get there.
—Kaitlyn Lamb, Germanna Business Student
Michelle Rivas · September 2, 2026
I’ve wanted to be a nurse since I was little. My mom has always been a CNA. She would come home in scrubs. I was inspired.
In high school, I worked as an office manager and stayed there after I graduated. It was familiar. Now, I’m almost 30. I have three kids. My oldest is five and just started kindergarten. My second daughter is three, and I have a newborn who is two months old.
When I had my first child, she was in the NICU. The nurses took really good care of me, and it really matters during that time who is taking care of you. You’re going through a lot.
After I had my second child, I realized I was not happy where I was working or where I was in life. I wanted to do something worthwhile. I deserve more for myself and my family.
I went back to school. Honestly, I didn’t think I could do it. But there was another parent in the program. She did it, so I thought I could do it, too. I want to be a labor and delivery nurse.
I work full-time as a CNA. I’ve been on night shifts for about a year. Balancing school and work is doable, but it takes a lot of sacrifice. I’ve had to learn how to manage my time and stay organized. There are days when I’m tired, but I remind myself why I started in the first place.
—Michelle Rivas, Germanna student