Autumn Trott’s life had many twists and turns including the monumental challenges of dropping out of school. All the details of her life really do not matter except for the part where she ended up at the Developing Alabama Youth (DAY) Program in Alabaster — a consequence that changed her life forever.

“One of my teachers, Ms. Green taught me to believe in myself and it really turned my life around,” Trott said.

DAY gave her the desire to achieve greater things and the environment to do so. She went from making D’s and F’s to A’s and B’s. After leaving DAY, Trott returned to her high school and worked half days as an emergency room technician where she discovered that she wanted to be a nurse. Trott thought it was a dream far too big to accomplish.

Her first job out of high school was in property management and she did well enough to purchase a small house. She still felt lead to become a nurse and she prayed for a way to make it happen. Her former teacher reached out to her and informed her of a scholarship offered through DAY. She applied, received it and had a way to go to college.

Trott attended Jeff State Community College and completed her prerequisites. She then quit her job, sold her house and went to Hanceville and graduated from Wallace State Nursing School.

It was not enough that she had become a nurse, but she was chosen for a residency program at Vanderbilt, one of the nation’s premier medical facilities. After completing an eight-week training program, she gained experience in all tracks of critical care and became one of only 44 pediatric nurse residents to be accepted at Carell Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Trott came home to speak at a DAY fundraiser at the Gaslight House in Pelham last weekend to share her story of success. She boasted of the unique learning environment that DAY provided her and the joy of knowing what it feels like to “Need comfort and to overcome.”

While she had been dedicated to fulfilling her dream, she is quick to give credit to DAY for providing her with the proper learning environment and the belief in herself that has made her successful. For more information about the DAY Program, call 664-1600.