Disciplined. Patient. Hard-working. Ashley Fraley’s strengths have kept her focused throughout her journey of recovery and discovery. After facing death multiple times, the mother of two, including a five-year-old daughter with cystic fibrosis, embraces life and learning after years of self-doubt and addiction. Now in college and living at Cincinnati Scholar House, she looks with pride at her Strong Woman picture: she sits smiling after her graduation ceremony from the First Step Home program. The picture of her smiling on that special day, like her outlook on her life and the future, is bright with sunshine.

The closest Rainie Moody had been to competitive sports growing up was when she was a cheerleader in seventh grade. But that changed a few years ago, when the 43-year-old managing director of Cincinnati Union Bethel’s “Cincinnati Scholar House” joined a co-worker at a CrossFit class. Her Strong Woman photo shows her mid-way through her first CrossFit competition. In it, she sees more than muscle and hard physical work. She sees the strength to say ‘yes’ to new opportunities, even when the outcome is uncertain—whether that’s in a gym with hundreds of spectators, or applying for a new position at the employer where she’s worked for 18 years.

Stephanie Miku used to believe that strength meant never surrendering. But after surviving years of abuse and weeks in solitary confinement in prison, she found her real strength after surrendering all that used to protect her and re-building herself from the ground up. She found support for that at Cincinnati Union Bethel, where strong women took her in and lifted her up. She also found support at the Cincinnati start-up accelerator Mortar—her Strong Woman photo shows her at Mortar pitch night, just before she received her first standing ovation as she shared the genesis of her business plans for the future, beginning with her own Caged Bird Ministries. This podcast is made possible through the support of the Manuel D. and Rhoda Mayerson Foundation.

Jordan McDonald was just 20 years old when a series of strokes nearly took her life. While facing a long and scary road to recovery, she learned that her addiction had taken a toll on her young body and accelerated the progress of a rare, and often deadly, genetic disorder. Though McDonald’s struggle with addiction was not yet over, she carried a photo from near the end of her months-long hospital stay with her at all times as a reminder of her own strength. In that photo, which she describes in this episode of Strong Woman, she is wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, her hair twisted into a smooth French braid. She stands independently, leaning over a sink in a hospital room filled with machines and a rumpled bed, a toothbrush in her mouth and a wide smile on her face. This podcast is made possible through the support of the Manuel D. and Rhoda Mayerson Foundation.

LaToya Bagley's path to a sunny hillside overlooking the Ohio River wasn't smooth or easy. The mother of two left her home in Dayton to search of a healthy future for her family. In this photo, she stands atop a verdant hillside in Ohio, not far from Cincinnati Union Bethel, where she received the support she needed to make a fresh start. She soaks up the sun against the backdrop of a river that carried her ancestors from enslavement to freedom, a reality she never takes for granted. Hear her reflections on this image, her life's journey and the strengths that power her success. Special thanks to audio producer Samantha Gattsek and award-winning broadcaster and podcast host, Alexis Rogers. This podcast is made possible through the support of the Manuel D. and Rhoda Mayerson Foundation.

Viann Barnett sits on the arm of her couch in her living room. In her hands she holds the college diploma she just received in the mail. Her smile is wide, but what you can't see is the smile of the photographer, Viann's daughter, who earned her high-school diploma the same year that her mom graduated from college. In this episode of Strong Woman, Viann, the managing director of the Anna Louise Inn and the Off the Streets program at the nonprofit Cincinnati Union Bethel, shares the story of the journey that led to her diploma and the strengths that fueled her success. Special thanks to audio producer Samantha Gattsek and award-winning broadcaster and podcast host, Alexis Rogers. This podcast is made possible through the support of the Manuel D. and Rhoda Mayerson Foundation.