Circles Goes Back To School, Pt. 1: Meet Samantha Nelson of Circles Salt Lake
This fall, Circles USA salutes the many adults in our community of practice for whom education is a long-term goal. Circles lifelong learners have many reasons for returning as “non-traditional” students to high schools, colleges, universities, and technical programs: diplomas, degrees, and professional credentials often build job pathways while leading to greater social and economic stability. Both the learning process and academic awards earned can shift the needle, for millions of lower-income Americans, towards CUSA’s Big View Policy Platform benchmarks for overall wellbeing. Despite—or perhaps because of—alarming declines in U.S. academic achievement, education remains a critical tool for moving individuals and families towards manifesting our Core Values: Community, Transformation, Human Dignity & Worth, Accountability, and Thriving.
To open our new two-part series on Circles USA and adult education, we’re sharing an Instagram testimonial from Coach Emily of Circles Salt Lake, Utah:
“Congratulations to one of our Circle Leaders, Sam, on receiving her high school diploma! Sam’s hard work and determination have brought her to this exciting chapter, and we are so proud of all that she has achieved. This moment is especially meaningful because Sam’s path to graduation was not the traditional one. After navigating challenges and becoming a mother, she made earning her diploma a goal and kept moving toward it with courage, determination, and strength. Seeing her stand with confidence, authenticity, and pride was truly inspiring. Her journey has been one of growth, perseverance, and resilience, and it was a privilege to witness this special moment. The future is incredibly bright for you, Sam. May this achievement be just the beginning of many amazing opportunities, adventures, and successes ahead. We can’t wait to see all the wonderful things you will accomplish!”
Coach Emily’s words inspired us to invite this extraordinary Circle Leader to share, in her own words, how earning a high school diploma has grown her sense of possibility for herself, her family, and her community.
My name is Samantha Nelson, and my Circles journey began a little under a year ago. I was originally connected to Circles through another nonprofit I was working with, and I truly believe I was guided there for a reason. I don't believe in coincidences. I believe I am guided by my Creator, my ancestors, and my spirit guides, and I feel that Circles became part of my journey at a time when I needed community, support, and an opportunity to grow into who I am meant to be.
When I first became involved with Circles, I immediately felt a strong sense of love and community. As someone who is deeply spiritual, I could feel that the community was being built through the care and love that people have for one another. That sense of connection is what initially drew me in, and it continues to be what keeps me connected today.
Over the past 10 months, I have built meaningful relationships with many of the staff, Allies, and community members.
Circles has become a beautiful and supportive place for me. As I have grown within the community, I have also come to understand what it means to be a leader and what it means to support others. It isn't simply the Allies supporting participants or the staff supporting the community. It is all of us supporting one another. I cannot count how many mothers, fathers, and other community members I have met through Circles who have uplifted me in ways they may not even realize. I hope that I have been able to offer that same sense of support and encouragement to others.
That is one of the things I value most about Circles. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a positive community where they can lean on others while also having the opportunity to contribute, support others, and share their own story. You don't have to have everything figured out to make a difference. Sometimes simply showing up, being present, and sharing your experience can help someone else feel less alone.
That is the heart of this community...understanding that we do not have to struggle alone. We live in a world where it can sometimes be difficult to see where the good is, but Circles has become one of the places where I can find that goodness. When I am having a difficult time or struggling with something in my life, I know I have people I can lean on and trust to help guide and support me. As a single mother and a woman navigating life in Utah, having a community where I feel safe, supported, and genuinely cared for has meant so much to me.
Circles has not only given me support, it has also given me an opportunity to grow, to lead, to connect with others, and to recognize the ways my own story can help someone else.
The art in these photos, especially the braids and the colors in my hair, represents the Medicine Wheel. In many of our Indigenous cultures, the Medicine Wheel represents the seasons, not only the seasons of nature, but the seasons of our lives, our aging, our experiences, and everything we move through. It’s something we embody and carry with us. For me, those colors were a beautiful representation of where I am in my own journey.
The necklace was also really special to me. The Tribal 2026 piece was gifted to me, and I was actually the first student at Horizonte Adult High School to receive one and participate alongside the high school students. I’m a proud enrolled member of the Shivwits Band of Paiutes, and that moment held a lot of meaning for me because I work very closely with my ancestors, my spirituality, and my culture.
Being able to experience something that felt like a traditional high school milestone later in life was incredibly special.
And honestly, the day itself was a reminder to me that life can be really hard and still not take away your ability to celebrate your wins.
I had been having a rough week, and there were things happening in my life that could have completely stopped me from appreciating what was happening, but I had to remind myself that life is always going to happen. We're going to have difficult seasons, disappointments, setbacks, and moments where it feels like everything is telling us, “No.”
The question is... are we going to let those moments stop us from becoming who we're meant to be?
I decided I wasn't.
I took that day with a grain of salt and allowed myself to appreciate the good, even while I was going through the bad. I showed up for myself when life was trying to tell me not to, and that, to me, is what those photos really represent.
We live in a world where it can sometimes be difficult to see where the good is, but Circles has become one of the places where I can find that goodness. When I am having a difficult time or struggling with something in my life, I know I have people I can lean on and trust to help guide and support me.
As for what I feel called to do next, I want to build my own business and continue my education in massage therapy. I want to help people heal through touch, massage, Reiki, Indigenous medicines, and the different forms of healing that have become such an important part of my own journey.
I feel like this has been building in me for the last six years. Everything I've overcome, everything I've had to face, and all the inner work I've done has continued to bring me back to the same purpose...helping people heal.
I know what it feels like to be in a place where you don't feel well, not just physically, but emotionally, spiritually, and within yourself.
So I want to be able to offer other people a space where they can begin to reconnect with themselves.
I also want people who have endured, struggled, or been told they couldn't do something to see that they absolutely can.
I know what it's like to live in a world and society that tells you certain things aren't possible for you, and here I am, a little later in life, doing things I once thought I wasn't going to experience, and honestly, I'm okay with that.
I think a lot of us had to go through certain things before we were ready to fully understand ourselves.
Sometimes we had to grow up, survive, heal, and do the inner work before we could really step into the lives we were meant to have.
For me, turning 32 and being able to experience something I was supposed to experience in high school was actually beautiful. It reminded me that there is no expiration date on your dreams, your accomplishments, or your healing.
I've learned that when you're willing to face your shadows and work through your fears, the things you once feared can become some of your greatest blessings.
And I don't regret going back.
I don't regret doing the healing.
I don't regret taking the time to find myself.
Because now I get to take everything I've learned and use it to help someone else.
My biggest goal is not only to heal myself, but to show my children, and other people who see themselves in my story, that you can overcome what you've been through.
You can start again.
You can go back to school.
You can build something of your own.
You can reconnect with your culture, your spirituality, your purpose, and yourself.
You can become the person you were always meant to be.
And if someone reading this is in the middle of their own difficult season, I hope they understand that the hard chapter doesn't mean the story is over.
Sometimes you're just becoming.
Building Community to End Poverty for 25+ Years
