In a good place

(AP) — Michelle Hartman, a 48-year-old single mother living in Warrenton, has been rebuilding her life after she and her two young children escaped domestic abuse less than three years ago.

The annual WINGS (Women Interested in Going to School) conference, designed for women looking to get their GED, attend college, acquire job skills or find a career.

Attendees hear stories from past participants and take part in workshops on the community college's degree and certificate programs, securing financial aid and scholarships, overcoming math anxiety, career planning and more.

Before she escaped a dangerous relationship and relocated to the North Coast, Hartman aspired to become a preschool teacher and studied early childhood education at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington.

Through her experiences, she discovered that Columbia-Pacific communities have a shortage of organizations — outside the state Department of Human Services — that can arrange supervised visits between children and family members.

Combining her background and expertise, Hartman's goal is to start a business that provides supervised visitations in an early childhood education-type environment.

WINGS — a partnership among the community college and the Seaside and Astoria branches of the American Association of University Women — is set up for women like that mother, empowering them to get unstuck.