By Allison Gilde
MCC Communications Intern
Working as a mental health aide at the Wesley Roberts Adult Activity Center, Lataja Cosse would help her clients with special needs participate in daily activities. But, when the program shut down, Lataja, the mother of four children, was suddenly without a career.
“All I could think about was now what?” she said. “Then I thought about my children and what I wanted them to see from me.”
Her answer was as a “hard working, dedicated, and driven” mother. So, she decided to go back to school and work towards a degree.
“Education is the key to moving forward,” emphasized Lataja, who enrolled at Muskegon Community College.
She works in the MCC Education Department while pursuing an associate’s degree. Busy with kids, school and work, Lataja points to a great support system that helps her balance it all.
“I thank God to help me get through and my husband,” she noted.
Lataja aspires to either help children with speech difficulties or to work in education. She is a firm believer that the children are the future.
“I think that a lot of parents don’t know what to do or the possibilities that kids have,” she noted.
Adjusting to college has been an uphill battle but the hard work is s
tarting to pay off for her. She received the Spencer Norman Scholarship of the Muskegon Heights Branch Library Scholarship.
“Being able to apply for a scholarship and getting it was amazing,” she said. “It was my first time ever doing scholarships. It is definitely a blessing to get help with school.”
When Lataja’s not taking care of her family or at school, she’s out building community by building up individuals.
“Serving makes me feel good,” expressed Lataja, who does so at the Mission for Area People Church Supper House once a month. Alongside her husband, the youth pastor at Mount Hermon Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Lataja gives church youth the chance to experience supporting local residents who are in need of a warm meal and a kind heart.
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