Grace To Overcome
Friends, we have the MOST INCREDIBLE team here at Saving Grace—made up wonderful staff and volunteers from across the region!!! We'd love to shine the spotlight on one of them today! Will you help us celebrate our dear sister, Tracie Irvine?!
Tracie has served on the SG team in multiple capacities—first as a volunteer, then as an overnight Resident Assistant. Today, she’s working closely with “Grace” as our interim Program Coach while our full-time coach soaks up baby snuggles on maternity leave!
Tracie recently celebrated a HUGE milestone, graduating from The University of Florida with a BS in Health Education & Behavior! We could not be more proud of her!!!
“Working at Saving Grace as the Interim Program Coach has been the most rewarding job I have ever had.” shares Tracie. “First of all, I love working with a team that is totally dedicated to empowering “Grace” to become the successful, independent woman she wants to be. I’m blown away by the love shown to her every day.” “Each young woman has a special place in my heart, and I can honestly say that I love them all. I miss them on my days off and I wake up Monday morning happy that I get to go back to Saving Grace!” Tracie says. “I love the challenge of helping “Grace” reach her goals. I love celebrating her victories. I love encouraging her when she struggles and watching her overcome, and I love seeing her graduate from our program and move into her own home.”
“If “Grace” learns nothing else from me, I hope she learns that she is loved by God, that she understands how to advocate for herself, that she’s totally capable to achieve whatever goals she has for herself, and that she’s way too valuable to allow anyone to treat her badly or to take advantage of her. With this knowledge she can live a joyful and successful life.” Tracie shares.
At Saving Grace, we believe that “Grace” can’t be what she can’t see. Tracie has truly led the way for our girls with her determination to finish school against some pretty tough odds. “The most challenging part of graduating from college was overcoming the negative programming I had from my past. I’m 60 years old, and I just found out a few years ago that I’m dyslexic. I grew up believing I wasn’t smart, yet here I am graduating with a 4.0 grade average.” she says. “I never had confidence that I would “for sure” pass any class I took. Seriously! I kept waiting to fail each assignment and every exam I took. It was crazy how the negative programming from my past kept popping up. But God gave me the mental stamina I needed and I’m thankful for my amazing, supportive husband who encouraged me every step of the way.” “Not only did I graduate with a BS in Health Education & Behavior, but also passed the Certified Health Education Specialist exam too. Wow! I can confidently encourage “Grace” that she can overcome any obstacle she faces and reach her goals regardless of what she has been told in the past, because I’m living proof that what happened in the past doesn’t predict the future.” AMEN, Tracie! You are an absolute SHE-RO in our eyes! We’re so proud of you for NEVER giving up on your dreams, and for pressing on to achieve them even when it was far from easy! Your example for “Grace” is a beautiful mix of dedication and trust in the Lord!
We are SO BLESSED to have Tracie on our team! She ALWAYS has a smile on her face and is the most generous, kind, incredible woman—always 100% invested in “Grace!” Interested in ways you can serve "Grace" with us? Check out our Serve page for information on ways to get plugged in!
