I’m so much stronger of a person, and it follows me in the way I carry myself.”

Disciplined. Patient. Hard-working. Ashley Fraley’s strengths have kept her focused throughout her journey of recovery and discovery. After facing death multiple times, the mother of two, including a five-year-old daughter with cystic fibrosis, embraces life and learning after years of self-doubt and addiction. Now in college and living at Cincinnati Scholar House, she looks with pride at her Strong Woman picture: she sits smiling after her graduation ceremony from the First Step Home program. The picture of her smiling on that special day, like her outlook on her life and the future, is bright with sunshine.