Anything Is Possible!

by Sherrice Tapplin, Ashwood Cove

As I look back over the last 18 months, all I can say is “anything is possible.” As I left an abusive relationship in Michigan and came to Nashville, all I had was my four children and myself. The anxiety and pressure I felt was overwhelming. The YWCA Domestic Violence Shelter provided my family housing. While there I met with a counselor who signed me up for a program called Shelters to Shutters. I interviewed with the Executive Director, Chris Smith, answered a few questions, updated my resume, and waited. Not long after I got the news that I was accepted into the program. I was super excited to have the opportunity but kept saying to myself to calm down – things like this don’t happen to you!

My next step was to interview at Ashwood Cove Apartments in Murfreesboro. That is when I met my supervisor, Mr. Kevin Johnson. I was in love with this place the first time I saw it; it was just so huge and pretty. I could not believe I could live and work there. The people I met saw potential in me that I didn’t see in myself, and looking back at it now I thank them for showing me what I couldn’t see.

I began my new journey the week of Thanksgiving 2021 when I moved into my apartment and started my job as a groundskeeper. My children were happy, and I was crying happy tears. To be a part of a team, not just a team but a family, was more than I could ask for. Over the next year I was able to soar and fly, and I was so thankful for all the opportunities I was given.

Recently I was nominated to be part of the GNAA LEAD program by my regional manager and property manager. How awesome is that! I was honored that they chose me out of everybody to be a part of a program that trains individuals to become maintenance techs in the housing industry.

I love the program and the opportunities it provides. The team at GNAA wants to see you grow. They are so helpful – anything you have a question about, they have an answer. I’ve met so many people who are like me, yet different, and they want to help me become the best person I can be. This is so much more than I’ve ever expected to see. The LEAD program has given me the gift of encouragement and the belief that this is just the beginning.

Dreams are not just images we think can happen; they are images we can make happen. I now wake up every day and actually believe I can do anything I set out to do.