Born into a military family, Maleta's early years provided her with the essentials, but her life took a turn as abuse shattered her world. Silenced by fear, she endured years of unimaginable pain and suffering in her formative years. As she ventured into adulthood, she sought solace in romantic relationships, but they did not offer the healing she needed. Vulnerable, aching for love and security, she found herself gripped by the clutches of addiction, a descent that led her to a life on the streets, grappling with mental and emotional turmoil. Brushing shoulders with the law and spending time behind bars, Maleta was at a crossroads when the opportunity for rehabilitation arose.

Today, Maleta has a beautiful one year-old son, a steady job, two years of sobriety and is actively enrolled at Cape Fear Community College pursuing her Associates degree.

When Jimmy started his journey with StepUp Wilmington, he knew that he had the opportunity to not only change his life, but the lives of others as well. “I’m in recovery from substance abuse. I went through the Wilmington Treatment Center and they have an alumni organization. One thing they do is provide support for people in recovery, especially once they’re out of the treatment center. I found out about StepUp through those efforts, and we’ve been recommending you all to people,” Jimmy explained, adding that he feels comfortable being transparent about his story.

In 2019, Brooke came to StepUp Wilmington looking for support in her job search. Now two years later, when she needed to leave her old position for another new one, she was able to use what she learned from StepUp to snag one faster than ever. “A friend told me about [StepUp Wilmington] and thought it would be a good idea,” Brooke explained. “My job search was a lonely, arduous journey. So I just thought ‘I’m going to see what it’s all about.’”

When Alyssa graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a degree in International Studies and a minor in Security Studies, she had hoped to put her education to use by launching into a government career in international security. But without a master’s degree or the appropriate work experience, she quickly realized that there was more work to be done before her dream could become a reality. “A girl working as a bartender part time doesn’t look too good for that position,” Alyssa admitted. “I wanted to find a job that could get me into office work instead of service job

For Kyava, earning her Medical Assistant degree from Miller-Motte College was a great accomplishment. But when difficulties with her post-graduate certification, as well as the recent passing of her mother made her efforts to find work in the medical field more difficult than she’d hoped, Kyava felt like what began to hold her back more than anything else was the loss of confidence she’d had in herself. “I knew I wanted back in the medical field… but I was willing to take just anything at that point,” Kyava noted.

StepUp Wilmington is excited to announce another step forward in its mission with the launch of a new brand, Beyond Talent.

The early months of 2020 were a rude awakening to the challenges that the next year would bring for everyone, and things were no different for Vanessa. In January, she was dismissed from her position as an office assistant; in February, she contracted what she believes in retrospect was likely COVID-19; and then in March, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. “I was very fearful,” Vanessa says, recounting the various challenges she’s faced. “I searched for jobs, but with COVID exploding, I needed to use the pandemic assistance that gave me the opportunity to help my mom since her doctors were in South Carolina. I was terrified; I didn’t want to go anywhere.”

Did you know that only 27% of people who obtain a college degree actually have a job related to their major? This can be attributed to a number of factors, ranging from many jobs not necessitating a specific field of study, to labor-market disparities that make it difficult for people looking for jobs to find one that fits their exact passion and skill set.

“Whatever I do, I take it to heart and put all the knowledge I have into it,” says Deborah Dicks Maxwell regarding the various passions and causes she’s fought for throughout her life. And anyone familiar with all that she’s done and still plans to do knows that she has all the heart and all the knowledge to back up the large plate she’s set for herself. Deborah is currently sitting as the President of the New Hanover County NAACP and as the District Director for the Walter B. White District of NC NAACP, and has scarcely taken a break from her work to improve life for all in Southeastern North Carolina since she returned to her hometown of Wilmington where she’s now lived for over 30 years.

When Kevin Spears was elected to the Wilmington City Council in 2019, he brought to the role not only his own lived experiences as a Black native of the city, but also his long history as a volunteer, activist, and advocate for the city’s underrepresented communities. This has included his positions as a member of the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board; as president of Peace For the Port, a non-profit organization focusing on community violence; and as chairman of the MLK Jr. Recreation Association, a non-profit focusing on recreational and educational programs for inner city youth. For Kevin, community leadership is more than just talking. “I think at this point we’re done identifying the problems. So now it’s time for action. There have been a lot of meetings–too many meetings. Too much talk.”