Welfare to Millionaire: Heart of a Winner

Sarian Bouma

Sep 2005 · Xlibris Corporation

About this ebook

In 1974, a 19-year-old from Sierra Leone came alone to this country determined to make her way. Born into poverty, she learned a strong work ethic and many other lessons from her parents. A popular budding radio/tv personality at a young age, she dreamed of a college degree and to pursue broadcasting. Quickly running out of money, she successfully worked a variety of jobs, but was never able to accumulate enough cash to return to school. She married a young man whose dreams and ambitions, she soon realized, did not match her own, and eventually ended up on the street, penniless, homeless, and with a baby. Desperate, she found help and encouragement at a women's shelter, and renewed her determination to succeed. Banking classes through the welfare system gave her entrée to a new world, where she rose through the ranks. She also met her future second husband there. Eventually hitting a glass ceiling, she and her husband decided she should try running her own company, a commercial cleaning business. She eventually grew her company into a multimillion-dollar business, serving even the White House. The recipient of numerous national and local awards, she has always given back to her employees, her homeland, and those who helped her along the way. The mother of six, two adopted from her homeland following the devastating wars there, Sarian today is expanding into other business areas and continues as a shining example of how one can achieve the American Dream.This book details the many struggles and triumphs of this remarkable woman, and provides many resources for women.