Following a Dream—and Henry Street
By Henry Street Settlement
“I’ve been with Henry Street since Bethany was two,” says Bethania Guzman, 48.
Born in the Dominican Republic, Bethania had come to the United States at 16, with her father. Having endured a difficult home life in the DR, she found that her troubles continued, and she left home at 19. For years, she scraped by as a home health aide and security guard before becoming certified as a nurse technician. It was a step toward fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming a nurse.
When Bethania was pregnant with her daughter, now 8, the single mom wasn’t sure what to call her baby. Her boss, with whom she was close, often called her “Bethany”—the English version of her name—and Bethania thought, that’s a good name!
In 2018, when little Bethany was two, her mom was working at Gouverneur Hospital, two blocks south of Henry Street’s headquarters, and having a hard time finding babysitters. “But thank God I found 301 Henry Street”—the Settlement’s Early Childhood Education Center—she says, “and enrolled Bethany.” Having her toddler so close to both work and home was a huge relief. “The curriculum was amazing,” Bethania adds, “with play, exercise time, and meals.”
But, in 2020, the pandemic changed her plans. Henry Street’s early childhood teachers set up virtual classrooms, talking with the children and cheering them up, Bethania says, adding that the support from teachers and the director was profound. “They called every day to see if I needed anything.”
However, with a preschooler at home, Bethania made the difficult choice to resign from her job at Gouverneur.
Bethania used this time to focus on her dream career, and just as Bethany was starting kindergarten, Bethania began an associate degree program in nursing at the International School of Puerto Rico, which was mostly remote. Despite having “zero income with a small child,” she committed herself to finishing school. The Vladeck Houses, where she had lived since 2008, reduced her rent to the lowest possible rate, and she applied for food stamps and financial aid to make ends meet.
Henry Street helped by enrolling Bethany in its free afterschool program at P.S. 134—one of six afterschool programs the Settlement operates in public schools—ensuring that Bethany was in a nurturing environment while her mother studied.
“I can give my daughter an education and save for her college. The support I didn’t receive as a child I want to ensure she gets.”
Bethania passed the notoriously difficult NYCLEX nursing exam in May 2024. “You don’t know how much I cried when I graduated,” she says.
As for Bethany, “Afterschool is pretty fun,” she says, giggling, “and we get to do stuff on Fridays like watch a movie with popcorn.”
“It was the help of heaven to have this program while I was going to school,” Bethania says. “I didn’t have to worry about money or where to put my daughter while I studied, even in the summer.”
Now, Bethania is back at Gouverneur, working weekends as a staff nurse on the rehab floors, and as a supervisor with a private visiting nurse company. “It’s a game changer,” she says. “I can give my daughter an education and save for her college. With Henry Street and P.S. 134, I know my daughter will be in a loving, fun environment while I continue my journey caring for those in need.”
This story was originally published in Henry Street’s 2024 Annual Report.
