After years of unexpected circumstances, health challenges and even tragedy, Anika has a new outlook on life.
“If I can’t change it, fix it or control it, I’m not going to let it have power over me,” she recently said.
The changed perspective helped Anika achieve things she never thought possible, including receiving her high school diploma. Now, she’s dreaming of what’s next after graduating from our Bridging the Gap program.
“I’m committed to disrupting the cycle and patterns of my parents. It takes courage and it’s hard. Your brain will tell you 20 million things, but you have to believe it can be different,” Anika said.

Anika joined Bridging the Gap almost a decade ago after she turned 18 and exited Colorado’s foster care system. Bridging the Gap connects young adults transitioning out of the child welfare system to stable housing and other wraparound services, including education and career opportunities and wellness support, so they can focus on what’s next.
Anika’s teen years were filled with change and uncertainty, including her father and boyfriend passing away within a month of each other. Anika lived in a group home and was experiencing homelessness when she enrolled in Bridging the Gap at 19 years old. She moved into her first apartment shortly after but didn’t have a clear path forward.
“I never came to any meetings or anything when I first joined,” Anika said.
A Mile High United Way staff member named Anna Marie gained Anika’s trust and connected her to education and employment resources. Anika also received additional support through monthly coaching sessions and quarterly events that connect Bridging the Gap participants to each other.
Bridging the Gap provided stability, support and a path forward.
However, Anika found herself at a crossroads at the end of 2023. Her housing voucher was going to expire soon, and a new living situation with her mother hadn’t worked out.
“I did all my paperwork to exit from Bridging the Gap, but I didn’t have a place to live lined up. The Department of Housing hit back that I hadn’t completed my goals, and I wasn’t going to receive my escrow,” Anika said.
Participants establish goals when they join Bridging the Gap, and the Colorado Division of Housing creates an escrow account matching their rent payments. After achieving their goals, participants receive the funds to put toward their dreams and future plans.
Our staff helped Anika apply for a voucher extension so she could finish the missing goal: receiving her high school diploma. Anika had been working on her degree but dropped out, because she couldn’t work full-time and go to school.
“The education program was expensive and didn’t offer the flexibility Anika needed. She understandably prioritized work,” said Zoe Martin, a Bridging the Gap family support coach. “We wanted to do everything we could to help her successfully exit the program and receive her diploma and escrow.”

Once Anika’s extension was approved, we helped her enroll at the Goodwill Excel Center, a new, free education program that offered greater flexibility. Anika also completed a basic health care certification and hopes to obtain her clinical administration certificate, opening up new career opportunities.
Today, Anika’s goal is to be a traveling nurse. First, she needs to complete a basic life support class through Emily Griffith Technical College so she can then obtain her CNA or RN license.
In January, Anika received her escrow check from the Colorado Department of Housing, totaling $16,000. The funds will help her achieve her dreams.
“That money is going to change my life,” she said. “I’m going to put it toward a new car, help with rent and maybe go on a little vacation for my birthday.”
When young adults like Anika receive stable housing and a caring network of support, they can move forward and pursue their dreams.