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"In Our Own Voices" is a photo and story gallery celebrating听diversity and the voices that make the听听community a wonderful place to live, learn and grow.听Their stories are our story鈥攁nd we are proud to tell it. Kari-Lynn Knight '22, who is pursuing her , shares her story below.

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Sixteen years ago, college was a missed opportunity. A high school graduate who had big dreams but made poor choices, I became pregnant and settled into life as a stay-at-home mom. By summer of 2018, I was divorcing, reliant on state assistance and was the sole caretaker of seven incredible children. Hopes for a college degree were long gone.

鈥淚 am grateful for the hope that I can be independent and capable of supporting my family.鈥�

We had just moved to the city after escaping our previous situation, and independent living was new. Days were consumed with being a single parent, homeschooling, and endeavoring to meet requirements for our supportive housing program. I knew I needed to support my family, but I didn鈥檛 know how until last summer. After watching a child life specialist working at one of my children鈥檚 appointments, I finally knew what I wanted to be when I grew up.

Despite the impossible, friends encouraged me to visit UNH Manchester and see what I needed to do to become a child life specialist. Unsure what to ask, I walked into admissions two weeks before the semester started and walked out a full-time neuropsychology student covered by the Granite Guarantee. At 35, I鈥檓 finishing my freshman year, and I am grateful for the hope that I can be independent and capable of supporting my family.