Breanna Bailey, Rockford Housing Authority

Breanna Bailey’s story is rooted in resilience and purpose. At 34, she is a single mother of two who turned one of the hardest periods of her life into a path for helping others.

In 2022, she left a domestic violence situation and found herself and her young son without stable housing. They moved from place to place, paying for short stays and relying on others while trying to find their footing. Things began to change when she secured housing through the Rockford Housing Authority, but the real turning point came when she decided to step into an opportunity.

Through the Life Force Development Institute and the Bridges Out of Poverty curriculum, Breanna gained more than information. She found confidence, direction, and a new way of seeing her future. She started with small, steady steps, such as showing up on time, completing classes, and practicing a new mindset. Those steps added up.

Breanna was hired by the Rockford Housing Authority and has since earned several promotions. Today, she works as a Service Coordinator and is a certified Getting Ahead in a Just‑Getting‑By World instructor. She now teaches the same program that once helped her rebuild her own life.

Breanna uses her experience to support others as they work toward stability and financial independence. She shares her story openly because she wants people to know that change is possible and that their future can look different from their past. We are proud of the strength and leadership she brings to this work, and we are grateful to have her as a Getting Ahead facilitator who meets people with the same honesty and determination that shaped her own journey.

Estefanny Cruz, Comprehensive Community Solutions

Meet Estefanny Cruz, one of the facilitators supporting the newest Getting Ahead cohort at Comprehensive Community Solutions. Estefanny is committed to youth development through mentorship, creativity, and community engagement. She has served as a peer mentor with Leaders Igniting Transformation and as a facilitator with Artists Working in Education, where she supported young people in building leadership skills and expressing themselves through community based art. She now serves as an Alumni and Placement Specialist with YouthBuild Rockford at CCS, helping young adults navigate career pathways and long term success. Her background also includes early childhood education and work with the YMCA Children’s Learning Center. Across all of her roles, she is driven by a passion for empowering youth, fostering creativity, and strengthening community connections.

Estefanny is excited for the opportunity to engage youth in meaningful, real life conversations that provide impactful knowledge and encourage personal growth. She values the chance to connect with students in ways that help them reflect, ask questions, and build skills they can carry forward.

As she looks ahead to the class, Estefanny hopes to continue developing her skills as a facilitator while creating a space where youth feel comfortable being vulnerable and engaging in necessary, sometimes difficult, conversations. She is eager to learn alongside participants and support them as they explore their own experiences and goals.

We are grateful to work alongside Estefanny as she brings her insight, creativity, and care to this cohort.

Rebecca Ellis, City of Rockford Head Start

Rebecca Ellis has been part of the City of Rockford Head Start team for three years, first as a Family Support Specialist and now as the Family Services Team Leader. In both roles, she works closely with families to connect them with resources, opportunities, and systems that strengthen stability and long-term success. Through that work, she has seen the real barriers families face and why programs that empower individuals are so important.

That is what drew her to Getting Ahead. Rebecca sees it as a natural extension of the work she already does every day. The program gives participants space to look at their patterns, their history, and their current situation so they can understand where they are, why they are there, and what needs to change. It helps them build resources, set goals, and create sustainable progress, the same kind of long-term growth she works toward with Head Start families.

What excites her most about facilitating is the chance to walk alongside participants as they reflect, identify their strengths, and begin shaping their plans. She values the honest conversations, the personal breakthroughs, and the sense of community that forms in the room. She also brings in local leaders to share their own stories, showing participants that no matter where you start, you can change your path and make an impact.

Looking ahead, Rebecca is eager to learn from the participants just as much as they learn from the program. She believes every person brings insight into the challenges and opportunities within the community. Her hope is that by the end of the class, participants feel equipped, encouraged, and confident in the goals they set for themselves.

We are grateful for the energy, commitment, and steady encouragement Rebecca brings to every Getting Ahead cohort.

Molli Robey, Comprehensive Community Solutions

Meet Molli Robey, one of the facilitators leading the newest Getting Ahead cohort at Comprehensive Community Solutions. Molli has spent her career working with people and helping them navigate their finances in many different roles. She worked for 14 years as a Mental Health Case Manager and later as a Service Coordinator and Community Liaison before stepping into her current role as the Workforce Development Programs Manager at CCS. Along the way, she earned a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a Master’s in Human Resource Management.

Much of Molli’s approach while facilitating Getting Ahead comes from what she learned at a young age, sometimes the hard way, about money, expectations, and unspoken rules. Those experiences shape the way she now supports youth as they build their own understanding of financial stability and what it takes to create a more secure future. She enjoys helping young people gain information that can make a real difference in their lives and in the lives of their families.

Molli is looking forward to working with this group of YouthBuild students, who are eager to learn about stability and how to improve their situations. They have already been practicing leadership and public speaking, and she expects strong participation and thoughtful discussion. As the class moves forward, she is interested in hearing about their experiences so she can focus on the topics that matter most to them.

Molli also shared how much she enjoys the partnership with Bridges to Prosperity and the opportunity to teach the Getting Ahead curriculum, which brings together practical tools and meaningful conversations about stability. And we can say wholeheartedly that we love working with Molli just as much!

Michelena Sayvor & Miki Howard, Goodwill Excel Center

Meet Our New Getting Ahead Facilitators at the Goodwill Excel Center!

We are excited to welcome Michelena Sayvor and Miki Howard as the facilitators for the upcoming Getting Ahead class at Rockford’s brand‑new Goodwill Excel Center, beginning February 5. We are deeply grateful for their time and commitment to helping Rockford residents build stability and move toward the future they want.

Michelena Sayvor

Michelena brings a rich background in the helping field, with experience in education, daycare, religious settings, nonprofits, and now back in education. For nearly five years, she has supported individuals at Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois as they pursue training, employment, and a better life. Facilitating Getting Ahead feels like a full‑circle moment for her, and she is eager to see how everyone in the class grows and shifts their mindset throughout the process.

Miki Howard

Miki reentered the workforce through a work experience program at Workforce Connection, which opened the door to administrative roles at Goodwill and her current position as the Manager’s Office Assistant at the Excel Center. She is excited to support and learn more about the Getting Ahead program, especially because of the meaningful conversations it sparks and the confidence it helps participants build. Miki looks forward to learning alongside students and gaining insight into their perspectives and experiences.

Please join us in celebrating Michelena and Miki as they begin this important work. We are thrilled to have them leading the way for our next Getting Ahead cohort!