Farhana Morales: My life has truly come full circle

Even though my parents owned their own home, it was tiny and in bad shape. I always watched them struggle to make ends meet, which is never easy on a child.

In 2001, I moved to Colorado and was very close to owning a home the next year via a conventional mortgage. A few months before closing, I knew deep down that I couldn’t afford this home. I said no to my dream, never thinking I would ever own a home again.

For the first few years of my life in Colorado, I lived in the basement of my in-laws’ home. I tried living in an apartment for a year, but the lack of space for the children to play outside and the increasing rent was becoming a strain.

Late one night, I was watching TV — which I rarely do, given my busy life — and saw a commercial that spoke of how Whirlpool donated their appliances to recipients of Habitat homes. I thought to myself, “What is Habitat for Humanity?” I Googled, and since that day, my life has forever changed.

You must be asking yourself: How did her life change just by owning a home? Let me tell you, it’s the reason I am the successful woman, wife, mother and employee I am today.

After my home was built and we were settled in, my life really began to blossom like a beautiful flower. My children began attending the Cherry Creek schools we live by, and they are receiving the best education I could dream of. Now that we had a stable place to call home, I knew I could focus on my education and career. There was no stopping me now!

I can say with pride that I graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in information technology and a minor in communication from the Women’s College at the University of Denver. In addition to this, I managed to graduate with no student loan debt. Thanks to the information I gleaned from Habitat’s financial classes, I knew that I had many valuable resources at my disposal.

I feel that my life has truly come full circle. For the last two years, I have served as a family selection committee member for Habitat Metro Denver. I truly believe my family has enjoyed much success because we began with a stable foundation: our home.