United Way helped me fit in. It helped hide my financial situation and allowed me to feel like a normal kid on that first day of school."
Setting the Tone for the Future
The school supplies meant everything to Irma. They opened a world of inclusion and success. “Having the things you need for your first day of school sets the tone for how things will go in the future,” she said. In the 19 years since her experience with the School Supply Drive, Irma went on to graduate from Fargo South in 2003 and from North Dakota State University in 2008. “It has helped me belong. Because of that sense of belonging, I was able to excel in my life, get a college degree and now have a full-time job at Border States Electric. But it is thanks to the help I received as a child,” she said. Today, Irma lives in Moorhead with her fiancée Kevin and children Lamya and Isaiah.
Being Able to Throw Something Back
When asked what she hoped to tell the community that has given her so much, Irma shared a quote by Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned
that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.” “The School Supply Drive has a dear place in my heart, so whenever I have a chance to volunteer, I jump to do it,” she said, “I hope by sharing my story, it will encourage others to get involved.” “I want people to realize it’s not just about a backpack. It’s more than that. It’s seeing that child’s face light up when they have the things they need to be able to excel in school,” she said. This fall, 5,800 local students went to school with a backpack full of school supplies from United Way thanks to community members who stepped forward to make an investment in children like Irma and her sister, in hopes that they, too, will have the confidence they need to find that path of success not just in school, but in life.
To watch a video of Irma’s story or learn more about the School Supply Drive, visit unitedwaycassclay. org or follow United Way of Cass-Clay on Facebook.
“We all have our own personal stories that make us who we are. Mine happens to be one of those stories that without the help of this giving community, wouldn’t have been as successful as it is,” she said. The 20th annual United Way of Cass-Clay School Supply Drive kicks off in July 2018.