"Any Dream is Possible"
By Yolanda *****
As the last bell rings and signals another school day has drawn to a close, she gets a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knows that very soon she will again come face to face with the one who left the bruise on her jaw the night before. She tells herself, “Just a few more weeks until graduation, then you will be free from this hellish nightmare.” Before driving up the ramp to the front door, she silently vows that no other child will ever endure the unnecessary and tremendous pain she has gone through.Here at the Lancaster County Department of Children and Family Services, our mission is simple. We strive to provide children with the safety and security of a loving and nurturing environment. Also, we work closely with our dedicated professionals and family court. One of our new professionals can connect directly with our children through her own experiences. It is with great pleasure; we announce the hiring of our newest social worker, Yolanda Schroeder. Despite having physical challenges and very few supporters, Yolanda has shown that through hard work, determination and education, any dream is possible.
Mrs. Schroeder was born and raised in Nebraska, and although she was born disabled, she overcame many obstacles set in front of her. The youngest of three children; she was the first in the family to attend college. Now 39, she resides in Tecumseh with her husband Patrick, who she married in July of 2010. In her spare time, Yolanda enjoys quiet evenings with her husband, or catching a movie with close friends. Neighbors and friends agree that it is not uncommon to see her scooting around town in her motorized wheelchair to help herself unwind from a stressful week. When asked about her motivation to go into her chosen field, she solemnly replied, “Although my mother is loved, after years of being abused by her hands; the rift between us is still visible today.” A second motivation was that her Goddaughter, now fourteen is still being raised in a less-than-stellar, abusive environment.
After graduating from Elwood High School in 1994, Yolanda made the transition from living with family to living semi-independent in her own apartment. Due to years of abuse however, she allowed others to kill her dream of going to college. Attending college was still a goal she wanted to accomplish, but it was put on hold. To gain job experience, Yolanda got in touch with the Vocational Rehabilitation Center of Nebraska. She quickly found temporary work as an office assistant for the Lexington Housing Authority. Although it took nearly sixteen years, Yolanda finally began to realize her dream when she was accepted to Kaplan University. It was at Kaplan that she began to flourish not only as a student, but also began coming out of her shy, timid shell.
While studying to attain her degree in Human Services, she served as head board member for the non-profit organization Student’s Against Child Abuse. Yolanda worked tirelessly in her efforts to make sure people were made aware that while every child needs structure and discipline; there are ways to correct children without leaving physical marks. For these efforts, Yolanda was awarded Kaplan University’s “Highest Achievement in Social Awareness” award both years she attended the college. She has said that getting that award was a very satisfying accomplishment. Yolanda graduated with honors from Kaplan University on May 10, 2012.
Several days after attaining her degree, Yolanda was offered an eight week internship with the Dawson County Health and Human Services Department. During the internship she got to follow social workers around as they did surprise in-home visits, filed paper work assessing the living environment, attended court hearings to decide what was best for the child or children involved and found foster placement as needed. Yolanda also participated in a group counseling session with parents and children where she opened up about her own experiences as a child. At the end of the eight week internship, because of high recommendation from the Dawson County director of Children and Family Services; Yolanda was quickly offered a full time position at our offices in Lincoln Nebraska. The department feels that Mrs. Schroeder will be a tremendous asset in helping to correct the disturbing behavior of abusing children. Yolanda has said, “Growing up in an abusive home has made me the strong person you see sitting here today.”
In the 1980 hit song titled “Hell is for Children” Pat Benetar sings about the pain of child abuse. Yolanda feels the one line in the song that can sum up the passion she feels for her work is, “You shouldn’t have to pay for your love with your bones and your flesh.” Although she paid a high price for the love she gave as a child, standing before you today is a strong willed woman; a woman who will make sure as many children as possible have a chance to be successful at any dream they wish to dream. Famed poet, Maya Angelou once said, “I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.” Yolanda’s strength and determination to succeed in this department is proof that she refuses to be reduced by the abuse of her past.
