KB’s story begins long before she ever filled out a volunteer form or applied for an internship. It starts with her parents, immigrants from South Sudan, who arrived in Pittsburgh in 2000 seeking safety, stability, and opportunity. They settled in Prospect Park, a small but vibrant community shaped by immigrants and refugees from around the world.
Born in August 2002, KB grew up surrounded by cultural diversity. Her neighbors and classmates included families from Nepal, Burma, Rwanda, Burundi, and across Africa.
“I was used to seeing kids of different cultures and ethnicities,” she says. “It was normal for me.”
That early exposure shaped her worldview and laid the foundation for the compassion and curiosity she carries today.
KB attended Baldwin-Whitehall School District, growing up alongside her younger sister and brother. As the oldest child and a first-generation college student, she often carried responsibilities that came with navigating systems her parents were unfamiliar with.
Finding Her Path — and Losing Her Footing
KB graduated high school in 2020, during a time of great uncertainty. Like many students, she wasn’t sure where she wanted to go or what she wanted to study. She considered several local colleges, including Robert Morris University and Duquesne University, before ultimately enrolling at Allegheny College.
KB arrived intending to major in biology, then shifted to global health, and eventually fell in love with psychology. But academically finding her interests didn’t mean she felt grounded. Allegheny’s rural setting was a stark contrast to the Pittsburgh suburbs she called home. There were no bus lines, limited diversity, and fewer familiar cultural comforts — including food and community.
“I didn’t realize I was depressed at first,” KB reflects. “I would lock myself in my room and feel completely alone.”
Being away from her family and support systems triggered depression, suicidal ideation, and identity struggles. At times, she didn’t know where she belonged or who she was supposed to be.
In 2022, after a period of severe emotional distress that deeply alarmed her family, her parents asked her to come home. While being back with family was comforting, mental health was not something easily understood in their cultural context. Still, her father recognized her pain and took a crucial step, helping her connect with a therapist.
That decision changed everything. Therapy gave KB language for what she was experiencing and helped her recognize triggers like lack of sleep and isolation. “It made me realize I wasn’t crazy,” she says. “What I was going through was real, and it was human.”
Trying Again — and Hitting Another Wall
Determined to finish her education, KB returned to Allegheny College with renewed motivation and a stronger support network. She immersed herself fully — perhaps too fully. She took 22 credits, served as a Resident Assistant, became president of the African Association, joined cheerleading, and poured herself into leadership roles.
“I wasn’t sleeping,” she admits. “I was living off energy drinks.” The pressure to graduate and prove she could do it all pushed her mental health to the brink once again.
Eventually, KB experienced another crisis. After a suicide attempt, she was hospitalized in a psychiatric unit. The experience was traumatic — windowless rooms, isolation, and a feeling of being punished for her pain. Yet even there, moments of humanity broke through. An activities director told her, “You’re going to do great things,” and a younger roommate struggling with self-harm found encouragement in KB’s words.
“That’s when I realized,” she says, “we’re all human. We all need hope.”
Despite her efforts, KB was unable to continue at Allegheny College and was asked to withdraw. Given just 48 hours, she returned home feeling devastated. She had been on track to graduate in 2024, and suddenly her future felt uncertain once again.
Regrouping, Rebuilding, and Rediscovering Purpose
Back home, KB focused on healing. She returned to therapy, tried to stay busy, and took a job at Chipotle. What started as something to pass time became another source of growth. She found community, strengthened her communication and time-management skills, and was eventually promoted to a trainer.
At the same time, she applied to transfer schools and was accepted to Carlow University, where she began finishing her psychology degree in January 2024. As her coursework intensified, she stepped back from work to focus on school.
In December 2024, KB felt a pull to reconnect with the broader Pittsburgh community. She began searching for volunteer opportunities — and that’s when she found SHIM.
Growing Up with SHIM — and Coming Back Home
SHIM had been part of KB’s life long before she knew it as an organization. During her childhood, SHIM’s food pantry was one of the community resources that supported her family. She attended the Early Childhood Program, received backpacks and school supplies, joined the Youth Mentoring running club, went on field trips, and participated in out-of-school-time programming.
The After School program gave her academic support and emotional safety. Staff at Youth Mentoring helped students break down assignments and prepare for tests. They also created a space where kids felt heard. Field trips to places like the Carnegie Museum of Art and downtown Pittsburgh expanded KB’s sense of possibility. “It showed me there was a bigger world outside Prospect Park,” she says.
When KB returned as a volunteer in January 2025, it felt like coming full circle. She helped in the after-school program, assisted with back-to-school distributions, volunteered in the food pantry, and eventually applied for SHIM’s Basic Needs Internship.
Service as Healing
As a Basic Needs intern, KB worked in service coordination helping with rent assistance, making phone calls, and listening deeply to clients’ stories. For her, it was transformative.
“I didn’t always have a safe space to vent when I was struggling,” she says. “Hearing clients express their stress reminded me how important it is to just sit and listen.”
Her lived experience with mental health gave her empathy, patience, and grace. The internship solidified her desire to work in social services, case management, and community-based support.
“I loved this internship,” she says. “It reminded me that we’re human first — not titles, not roles.”
Faith, Future, and Giving Back
KB credits her Christian faith as a central source of strength throughout her journey. “My faith in Jesus Christ shaped and strengthened my mental and spiritual well-being,” she shares. “Because of my faith in Him, I was able to overcome depression and anxiety.”
She graduated in December and is actively seeking work in case management and community services, with long-term goals of working in refugee and immigrant health and eventually leading teams that shape community-wide initiatives.
She also wants others to know that SHIM is for everyone. “I used to think SHIM was only for immigrants and refugees,” she says. “Now I know they help seniors, kids, families- people of all backgrounds. If you need help, run to them.”
KB’s message to others is simple but powerful: asking for help is hard, but healing begins when you open up. “Don’t rush yourself,” she says. “If I can do it, you can do it too.”
Her story is one of resilience, faith, community, and coming home, not just to a place, but to a purpose.
Read about more of our youth program graduates in our Latest News section.
