Optimism, Family, and Home – Tanika’s Journey
Nicollet Square Resident Spotlight. Written by Dylan Novacek, Content Specialist.
“Coming here felt like a huge relief. The journey to Nicollet Square was hard,” Tanika said as she took a deep breath. “It was a big decision, but a joyful one. For me, it meant independency. There was a huge mix of emotions.”
Tanika believes a home isn’t a home until you’re safe. Exiting the foster care system, she was set to go out on her own for the first time. When her dad unexpectedly passed away, things seemed to come to a grinding halt. Feeling unsteady, she looked to her sisters for the encouragement to stay determined.
“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 move here if it wasn’t for my sisters.
“After he passed, we all came back 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 laughed. “It was emotional, but happy.”
Time spent with family means the world to Tanika. As the middle child, she’s always looked up to her older sisters while also striving to be a role model for her younger family members. Growing up, Tanika became a huge fan of 90’s music, the music her older sisters grew up listening to (note the 90’s t-shirt she proudly wears, pictured left).
“I love Destiny’s Child, Backstreet Boys, and TLC,” she said as she lit up and laughed.
Consistently looking on the bright side, Tanika holds her joyful optimism as one of her greatest traits. Reflecting on her childhood memories – like the time her mom got her a Justin Bieber cake for her birthday – Tanika is reminded how her trust in 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 going on 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 where Tanika felt like giving up. Moments where it felt like 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 and stressed out. Depressed. I still feel it sometimes, but I feel happier now. I am getting over things that happen in life. Things feel more freeing and happier now.”
Celebrating her success, Tanika graduated this year.
“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.
Diploma in hand, Tanika eagerly awaits what’s to come. She recently finished an internship with Butter Bakery, a local business located right below Nicollet Square. Following the completion of her internship Tanika was officially hired on!
Through utilizing the resources offered at Nicollet Square to find work and maintain her stability, Tanika is defining success on her own 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 as ever, 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 youth coming out of homelessness and extended foster care call Nicollet Square home each night. Residents find the resources they need to meet their goals through quality homes built by Beacon and support services offered by YouthLink.
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Continue to follow along with Tanika’s story in part two, coming soon…
