In 1988, Victoria F. called up some friends to help her pack her and her six children’s belongings in her car. They took what they could, rushing to leave before Victoria’s husband came home. It took 14 years of abuse to build up the courage: it only took three hours to leave.

For years, Victoria and her children were abused by her husband, her children being beaten so badly they suffered lasting psychological effects. “It took years before I could admit that I had been abused,” she says.

On their own, Victoria and her children struggled to survive; she received no financial support from her ex-husband, and shuffled from one low-paying job to the next. Eventually, Victoria scraped together enough money to enroll in college, where she discovered a love of learning and a passion for teaching.

Today, Victoria teaches math, English and reading at a middle school in Utah. She’s involved with the school’s Math Engineering and Science Achievement program, which targets at-risk students wishing to attend college and pursue careers in math and science. In 2001, she received the MESA Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award for her work helping disadvantaged youth live their dreams.