“Just keep going and keep on believing in yourself. That’s what I would have to say because that’s what they’re going to do is help you and remind you to believe in yourself.”
For the Fall 2026 semester, we are celebrating 30 years of Project HOPE with a series of alumni stories. Project HOPE students have achieved many great things thanks to the support they received, and we feel privileged that they shared their stories with us as we celebrate a wonderful program.
At the beginning of what was supposed to be her junior year at Putnam City High School, Tiffany Frazier received unexpected news: She was short on credits and was being reclassified as a sophomore.
“It was like a wake-up call for me,” she said. “I started doing research on how I could get credit recovery and still graduate on time.”
Her search led her to Project HOPE at Francis Tuttle Technology Center, where Frazier found more than a way to make up credits. She also gained career skills that would help shape her future and, years later, bring her back to Francis Tuttle as an employee.
As a Project HOPE student, Frazier spent half of her day completing her high school coursework and the other half attending the Customer Service career training program.
“Overall, my experience with Project HOPE was a good experience,” Frazier said. “It challenged me in places that I didn’t know I probably needed challenged in. It was a good experience because it was small, and it allowed you to be more independent. I think that was something that I was kind of searching for.”
Frazier said she felt encouraged and supported while a Project HOPE student, both academically and mentally. Along with those aspects, staff members also “inspired you to let you know that you can do more and you are more.”
After graduating high school in 1998, Frazier went to work in customer service for Williams Sonoma. Nearly a decade later, she returned to Francis Tuttle as a student, this time to complete the Human Resources program. As part of the program, she did an internship in the IT building.
A few months after finishing that program, she received a call from someone she knew at Francis Tuttle asking if she could fill a temporary position while an employee was out sick. That reinforced Frazier’s interest in working for the technology center.
“I remember thinking, ‘If those employees are still happy, and I’ve been gone for quite some time now, that must be a good place to work,’” Frazier said. “People were still friendly, so I was like, “I’m going to work there.’”
In 2012, she joined the staff as a part-time employee. Seven months later, Frazier moved into a full-time role and has been at Francis Tuttle ever since. Frazier has held several positions during her time with the technology center and, since 2021, has served as an administrative assistant in the attendance office on the Rockwell Campus.
“What has kept me here for so long is the sense of community and family and developing professionalism,” Frazier shared. “Great customer service and the opportunities for growth here - that’s what’s kept me here.”
Frazier felt that sense of community not only as an employee but also as a student. Her own experience with Project HOPE is one she hopes other students will consider when they find themselves struggling or unsure of their next step.
“It’s a good program, especially if you’re struggling with whatever,” Frazier said. “There’s great support, and they don’t make you feel like you’re a bad person just because you made bad choices or didn’t get your credits or whatever. Just keep going and keep on believing in yourself. That’s what I would have to say because that’s what they’re going to do is help you and remind you to believe in yourself.”