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.