Tiauna Rivers' Story

I came from an underprivileged home; I grew up in a household with just my mother and me. I was very sick with asthma, and was hospitalized a lot. When I got sick, my mother was always there for me. She sometimes lost a job because of my illness. One day, someone told her about the Kunsberg School on the campus of National Jewish Health. My mom signed me up.  

I was a student in the Kunsberg School from 1992 until 2000, kindergarten through seventh grade. They helped me learn to manage my asthma, and during that time I saw several doctors from National Jewish Health.

The teachers at Kunsberg kept me focused on academics. They always talked about higher education—my family did, too—and now I am a student at Community College of Aurora.

What would have happened to me without the Kunsberg School? I probably would have spent a lot more time in hospitals. While some of my friends are in in college, some aren't. I have friends who now have kids of their own. Some of them—even people with asthma—smoke cigarettes and weed. Some of them are working. I will graduate in May, 2009 with an Associates Degree in Business.

The Kunsberg School changed my life.