Olivia has always written song lyrics in her journal. This fall, she started learning how to turn them into music.
It is the latest goal on a long list. Olivia sets a goal, works for it, reaches it, and then sets the next one. She lives at Locust Court, an Easterseals New Jersey home in Hunterdon County, and every step of her story is one she chose for herself.
Olivia's story starts in Warren County, where she lived at an Easterseals New Jersey home and enrolled in the Community College Center for Adult Transition (CAT) program at Warren County Community College. In January 2024, she moved to Locust Court. A new home and a new county could have meant starting over. Instead, Olivia kept going with the program, and she graduated.
Then she went to work. With help from a job coach, she worked at Burlington and Walmart before landing a position at The Center for Educational Advancement (CEA) in Flemington. She has now worked there full-time for over two years, earning paid time off and paid holidays.
With one big goal reached, Olivia set her sights on the next: her driver's license. For her, it means more independence, and maybe one day, a life outside of the residential program. She studied hard and passed the written test on her second try, earning her learner's permit. She pays for her driving lessons herself, with money she earns at CEA, and she is now preparing for her road test.
And then there is the music. Olivia enrolled in the Music Composition program at Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) for the Fall 2026 semester, taking four credits toward an associate degree. She takes Hunterdon County's public transportation to and from campus on her own and manages her classes with very little staff support.
Her week is full. Classes on Mondays and Thursdays. Work on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Driving lessons on Sundays. And every day, about an hour of walking, her favorite way to exercise. Even with all of that, she is always ready to help the staff with chores at home, and she brings an engaging, curious and positive attitude wherever she goes.
The staff at Locust Court cheer her on at every step. Nicholas, who has supported her for over two and a half years, calls her one of the most determined and goal-oriented people he has worked with in more than 17 years at Easterseals New Jersey. But the studying, the work and the drive are all Olivia's.
That is what determination looks like: a diploma earned, a paycheck that pays for her own driving lessons, and a journal full of songs waiting to be recorded.
And she is not done yet. Next comes her road test, then her degree, then songs of her own. One goal at a time.
