“Having grown up in a dysfunctional family, where my mother was an alcoholic and I was on free lunch and food stamps, the biggest lesson I learned was to persevere through everything, to never give up, to continue to try, have confidence and hope, work through it and ultimately succeed. Both my parents are deceased and my mother died of alcoholism. We did have a close, complicated relationship. My dad was a professor, but he was not very involved in our lives until I was older. Because of my background, I’m the person I am today. I wouldn’t be a strong, independent woman if I hadn’t gone through the complications of my childhood. My parents were very bright. They believed in education, reading, curiosity and learning. What I got from them was the importance of a good education. They were also very compassionate people. They might not should’ve been parents, but they were incredibly compassionate. I learned how to be accepting of all people because of my parents and how they treated people.” – Josephine Lowery of Homewood.

Lowery is the executive director and co-founder of College Choice Foundation.

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Lowery said she loves both of her parents and shares her story as an example of perseverance and forgiveness. She also said she is thankful for her high school guidance counselor who intervened when she was a senior and got her to apply to more colleges. Lowery now helps students from under-resourced backgrounds attend college.

“A few things that we try to instill in them is to get out of your comfort zone, to never settle, and allow the ceiling to be above your head; get out and embrace everything that the world has to offer you; have good character, be honest, be loyal, and be accepting of everyone. Never give up and keep reaching for your dreams,” she said.

Josephine Lowery is the executive director and co-founder of College Choice Foundation. (Reagan Wells/People of Alabama)

These are the faces and stories of people from all walks of life who call Alabama home. People of Alabama is a Red Clay Media and Alabama NewsCenter partnership.