Optimism, Family, and Home – Tanika’s Journey
Nicollet Square Resident Spotlight
“Coming here felt like a huge relief. The journey to Nicollet Square was hard,” Tanika recalls before taking a deep breath. “It was a big decision but a joyful one. For me, it meant independence. There was a huge mix of emotions.”
Tanika believes a home isn’t a home until you feel safe there. After exiting the foster care system, she planned on going out on her own for the first time. However, when her dad unexpectedly passed away, her plans ground to a halt. Feeling unsteady, she looked to her sisters for encouragement.
“I decided to move to Nicollet Square shortly after we lost my dad. I remember telling him and my big sister that I was scared to go out on my own. They said I should just go for it,” she paused. “For me, family is everything. I wouldn’t have moved here if it wasn’t for my sisters.”
“After my dad passed, we all came together to be there for each other. We spent an entire month together. It was hard and stressful, but also a good moment. My dad would’ve wanted us to be together without arguing. When you have sisters, you argue a lot,” she observed with a laugh. “It was emotional but happy.”
Consistently looking on the bright side, Tanika holds her joyful optimism as one of her greatest traits. Reflecting on her childhood memories – like when her mom got her a Justin Bieber cake for her birthday – reminds Tanika of how trusting her family pushes her forward.
“My family comes before anything else. I put their needs before my own,” she admits. “I don’t always tell my sisters what’s happening with me. But they can read me. They push me to do better. They pushed me to go out on my own.”
Following the exit from her second foster home and grieving the loss of her father, there were moments when Tanika felt like giving up. In these moments, it felt as though the odds were stacked against her.
“Every time I felt like giving up, I looked to my family. My younger sister and niece look up to me. I make them so happy! I’d tell myself this was for them and would push even harder.”
Arriving at Nicollet Square, Tanika quickly found that the road to stability didn’t need to be an uphill battle. The young residents at Nicollet Square aren’t just offered a deeply affordable home but one with onsite services that enable residents like Tanika to realize their full potential.
“Getting my own keys was such a good feeling,” she exclaimed. “The staff at Nicollet Square are so helpful. Last year, I felt really emotional, stressed out, and depressed. I still feel it sometimes, but I feel happier now. I’m getting over things that happen in life. Things feel more freeing and happier now.”
Braced by the foundation of a stable home, Tanika received further reason to feel happiness when she graduated from high school while living at Nicollet Square.
“Finally graduating was a huge relief. I was a super senior for three years. I was supposed to finish back in 2019, but a lot happened. Foster care, losing my dad, COVID, moving…My dad would always encourage me to get back to school.
“It was hard to do it over the computer. Waking up early to get online for a whole day with no teachers to help you. It was hard, but I did it,” she beamed.
Upon finishing an internship with Butter Bakery, a local business located below Nicollet Square, Tanika received an offer to work at the bakery as a full-time employee.
By utilizing the resources offered at Nicollet Square to find work and maintain her stability, Tanika defined success on her terms.
“Success is when you actually work hard to get somewhere you want to be. You fight to become who you want to be.”
Strong-willed and optimistic, Tanika is building the stable life she’s always wanted. With a shift at Butter Bakery and 90’s music playing in her ear, she looks to her sisters as they cheer her on.
“No matter what you’ve gone through, you can always come back from it all. The emotions, the heartache. You can find the good and just be happy.”
Forty-two young adults coming out of homelessness and extended foster care call Nicollet Square home. Residents find the resources they need to meet their goals through quality homes built by Beacon and supportive services offered by YouthLink.
To make a gift to sustain supportive housing like Nicollet Square, click here.
