Khalileah Franklin, City of Rockford

Meet Khalileah a recent graduate of the City of Rockford Getting Ahead Class

When you talk with Khalileah, one thing becomes clear right away. Her life is centered on her two boys. Her oldest is an adult building his own future in IT and the construction trades. Her youngest just started fifth grade. Everything she works toward is about giving them stability, confidence, and choices she did not have. She wants them to move through life without the fear of falling behind. That hope guides every decision she makes.

Before Getting Ahead, she had built a career in cosmetology years earlier, but COVID pushed her to pivot. When the salon shut down, she used that time to learn IT, start her contracting business, Tech Konnect, and take on part-time work to keep her household steady. She completed an IT program with her oldest son and continued working hard to build a stronger future for herself and her family. Those experiences eventually led her to Getting Ahead, where she enrolled without hesitation and asked her son to join her. They learned side by side.

In the class, she found room to breathe and think. Being in a room with people from different backgrounds helped her understand others more clearly and helped her understand herself. The group reminded her that her situation was temporary and that she could change it. She described the class as a small family, a place where she could walk in with something heavy on her mind and trust that someone would help her think it through. She calls it a brain gym because it pushed her to reflect, understand, and expand her thinking.

The class also helped her see her own strength. She said her life had been on autopilot for years, always moving, always taking care of others, and the class forced her to slow down. Journaling after each activity helped her see her perspective on paper. She said it reminded her that she is smart, powerful, and fully capable of changing her circumstances.

After completing the program, she noticed real changes in how she manages her life. She organizes her finances differently and handles challenges with more clarity. She has continued applying what she learned in Getting Ahead, not because everything around her changed overnight, but because she is approaching her circumstances differently. At work, she approaches people with more compassion because she knows what it feels like to need help. She often thinks back to the class when she is problem-solving or supporting someone. When she came across a woman who reminded her of herself—someone positive, motivated, and temporarily struggling—she was able to refer her to the Getting Ahead class, knowing the program could help her move forward.

When she talks about her future, she focuses on financial literacy, financial freedom, and ownership. She wants her name on everything she builds. She wants her children to have a foundation strong enough to carry them and change their family legacy.

We are proud of Khalileah! She shows up for her children with determination, and she is shaping a future that gives them real stability.

Cameron Bowling, Comprehensive Community Solutions

Meet Cameron, a recent graduate of the CCS YouthBuild Getting Ahead class.

Cameron moved to Rockford, already familiar with the YouthBuild program, but it took real courage to take that first step and show up every day, committed to improving his life. Through YouthBuild, he enrolled in Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin’ By World, where he began learning what it takes to build stability and move toward his goals. He recognized that the path he was on before wasn’t moving him forward, and the program helped him identify new skills, new ways of interacting with others, and new strategies for making progress. He shared that he once felt heavily dependent on others, but now has a growing sense of independence and direction.

One of Cameron’s biggest breakthroughs came from learning how to budget and save. Before Getting Ahead, he had never been taught many of the financial tools covered in class. Now, he feels confident managing his money in ways that support his goals. He is also working toward securing his own housing and creating a stronger foundation for his future.

Looking ahead, Cameron is excited about what comes next, starting with landing a job and continuing to work toward the goals he set for himself. His advice to future Getting Ahead students is simple: “Just take the steps and do the work.”

Thank you, Cameron, for sharing your story with us. We are proud of your hard work, your courage, and the future you are building!

Gianni Flores, Comprehensive Community Solutions

Meet Gianni Flores!

Gianni is part of the Comprehensive Community Solutions (CCS) YouthBuild program, and we are proud to partner with CCS to bring the Getting Ahead class to their students. After completing the Getting Ahead program, Gianni sat down with us to share his story and the growth he’s been working toward.

Gianni shared that he moved around a lot growing up, which meant he didn’t have the traditional high school experience and didn't have the stability to graduate. By the time he returned to Rockford, he found himself in a difficult place. He described that period as one in which he felt he had hit rock bottom. He wasn’t in school. He wasn’t working. He knew something needed to change, but he didn’t know where to start.

That turning point came when his mom told him about the CCS program his uncle had gone through. Gianni decided to give it a try, and that choice opened the door to a new chapter.

Through Getting Ahead, Gianni found something he didn’t expect: knowledge he didn’t know he needed and had never been taught. He said that was the part of the program that helped him the most. It allowed him to better understand himself, build confidence, and recognize the strengths he already had. He left the program feeling more motivated, more focused, and clearer about the direction he wants to go.

During the class, Gianni set a SMART goal to get a new job — and he did! He is now an infant swim instructor at the YMCA. He’s also working toward another goal: saving up for a new phone. Looking ahead, what excites him most is continuing his education to become a massage therapist.

When asked what he would tell someone thinking about joining Getting Ahead, Gianni said, “Pay attention in class, ask questions, and stick with it.”

Thank you, Gianni, for sharing your experience with us. We are so proud of your hard work. Your story is a powerful reminder of what can happen when someone chooses to take that first step forward.