Benefits Hubs are part of United Way’s Bridge to Finish program that employs resources, services, and advocacy to help students complete their education.

Among the students at Highline College who have turned to the school’s Benefits Hub are underclassman Winner Khaney of South Africa and recent graduate Danielle Baptiste of the Bahamas.

Each spoke about how the on-campus resource helped them address a setback and stay on track to complete their degrees.

Winner Khaney: “Help is much nearer than you would expect.”

I am an international student who came to the U.S. on a soccer scholarship on an F-1 Visa. America was new to me, a change of scenery. I was able to pursue soccer here, and after coming to Iowa and then to DC, I decided that Washington [state] was the place I wanted to be. I sent the Highline coach clips from my games, and I got a soccer scholarship to Highline.

Having been here, I think the biggest thing for me has been community. There were a lot of people here, and being an international student, it was a welcoming experience. I first heard about Benefits Hub during the orientation that international students go through to help us assimilate.

They were telling us about resources you can get on campus: one was the food pantry, and the other was the Benefits Hub. They said the Benefits Hub was for things like rent assistance, tax preparation, and different types of resources.  

The first time I used the Benefits Hub was at the start of one of my quarters, when my car got towed. And just going through the ups and downs of that, I was thinking, “What am I going to do?” The money for the tow would put me at a disadvantage if I were also to continue my studies.

But I went to Benefits Hub, and I was able to resolve the towing situation without taking time away from school. Then, through Benefits Hub, I was able to get a job at the Community Pantry.

I’m studying Biomedical Engineering at Highline, and after Highline, I plan to go to either the University of Washington or Seattle University. After that, I hope to find a job in the stem cell field here.

When anyone asks me about Benefits Hub, I tell them, “Help is much nearer than you would expect. Help isn’t something you have to suffer to get. There are people willing to help.”

Danielle Baptiste: “This journey means more to me than anything.”

I first came to Washington in 2021. I relocated from my home country, the Bahamas, with my children because I faced a domestic violence situation. Before that, I stayed under the radar, going from state to state.

After I came to Washington, my children and I lived in a shelter. I always wanted to go to college, but it was always taken away from me. My life has always been controlled by someone else, so this journey means more to me than anything.

I enrolled at Highline, and everything just changed for me. Since attending Highline, I’ve had access to resources I never knew existed. This is like a one-stop shop. I’m talking about food, housing assistance from Benefits Hub advisors. Even personal stuff like dealing with mental health.

Through Benefits Hub, I was able to get a [permanent] place. They helped me with my security deposit. Since then, my kids and I have had secure housing.

Two of my sons have graduated this same year that I graduated from Highline. I just needed to change the atmosphere that they were in. It has been a joyous occasion for me because of the growth I’ve seen in my kids and the help I’ve received from the college.

I am the first person from my family to graduate from college; my mother and grandmother didn’t. Now, two of my kids want to start at Highline because they’ve seen mommy do it.

Now, I want to do what someone did for me. I want to be that bridge and help bring people resources, connect them to their dreams, and let them know they can achieve them. The experience I had at Highline taught me that someone is always willing to help.

For more information about United Way’s Benefits Hubs, click here.