In this economy, more unemployed people are finding themselves going back to school.
A new group of non-traditional students graduated from Gateway Community College this Thursday at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center.
A single mother of four was one of the graduates who hopes her story will serve as an inspiration to others.
"Whatever we got from the shelter, that's what we came up here with," said Kinta Joseph, of Erlanger.
Almost four years ago, Kinta Joseph lost everything she owned after Hurricane Katrina struck her New Orleans home.
With the help of a Lakeside Park church, she and her four children moved to Northern Kentucky to start a new life.
"Me and my mother stayed together with the kids and we did what we felt we had to do make it," said Joseph.
A local case worker recommended Joseph go back to school at Gateway Community College.
The single mother hesitated at first until she noticed others in her class just like her.
"Going into a college, I didn't want to be in the classroom with 18 and 19-year-olds and when I got there, I was like okay I like it, you know it was good," said Joseph.
Joseph is just one of hundreds of unemployed people going back to school to learn new skills due to the downturn of the economy.
"Enrollment is growing. We are having a difficult time keeping up with the phone calls said John Brown with Gateway Community College. “There is a lot of people contacting us and we are doing our best for helping everybody.”
Now two years later, Joseph is graduating from Gateway Community College with honors. A proud and an emotional moment for her.
"I'm sorry. Whenever I talk about Gateway I get emotional, because my life has changed so much through this school," said Joseph, who now plans to attend Northern Kentucky University to study Criminal Justice.
"Somebody gave me a chance, so I want to give someone else a chance,” said Joseph.
