Every parent deserves the opportunity to build a stable future. But for student mothers, the balance of education and life as a mom can make that path especially challenging. In Chattanooga, The Momentum Network is helping women overcome barriers to build a future rich with stability and opportunity.
For founder Cara Hicks, the organization’s mission is deeply personal.
Just before her high school graduation, Hicks discovered she was pregnant. While many assumed her dreams for college would now be impossible, she refused to let those circumstances define her future. Choosing perseverance, she went on to graduate cum laude from the University of Georgia, thus building a new life for herself and her child.
“The right people, resources, encouragement and practical support can completely change someone’s trajectory.”
Cara Hicks, Founder of Momentum
Along the way, Hicks received support from people around her who believed in her potential and helped her navigate the practical challenges of being a student parent.
“That experience taught me that determination matters, but determination alone is not always enough,” Hicks said. “The right people, resources, encouragement and practical support can completely change someone’s trajectory.”
This realization inspired Hicks to launch The Momentum Network, a nonprofit dedicated to helping single mothers complete their education, build financial stability, and create stronger futures for their children.
“We want moms to know they do not have to choose between their children and their potential,” said Hicks.
The Momentum Network provides a range of resources, including on-site childcare, Connections and Coaching sessions, and MPower courses that help moms define their purpose and direction. Through their residential program, Scholar Village, mothers can access affordable housing located near Chattanooga’s college campuses.
What sets the network apart is its focus on two-generation transformation. While the organization’s direct, daily services might be geared towards mothers, Hicks says the impact extends across generations.
“Parents are among the most important and influential people in a child’s life,” Hicks said. “When we help a mother complete her education, increase her earning potential, strengthen her decision-making, build healthier routines and create greater stability, her children experience the impact of those changes every day.”
That philosophy leads the network to be both preventative and responsive. Rather than focusing on short-term solutions, the network aims to help families find long-term stability and economic mobility. Hicks finds that Chattanooga is uniquely positioned to support that vision through its abundance of partnering relationships, creativity, and collaborative spirit. This culture helps form a natural partnership between Chattanooga employers seeking dependable talent and the women the network serves everyday.
“There are capable, resilient women in our community whose potential can be strengthened when practical barriers are removed and meaningful opportunities are within reach,” Hicks said. “When businesses engage in that process, they are not simply giving back. They are helping strengthen families, expand the local talent pipeline and contribute to the long-term economic health of Chattanooga. That is the kind of progress we hope to build together.”
By connecting mothers with educational opportunities, workforce development resources, and career pathways, the network strives to build a stronger bridge between motivated women and the business community. As a Chattanooga Chamber member, relationship-building is essential to advancing that goal.
“The Chamber creates opportunities for people who might otherwise operate in separate circles to learn from one another, build relationships, and identify ways their strengths can work together.”
Looking ahead, Hicks hopes to increase awareness about the network and seek out stronger and more meaningful partnerships with community pillars across the business, nonprofit, and education sectors.
“For us, growth is not simply about increasing the number of people enrolled in a program,” Hicks said. “It is about strengthening the network around those families,” Hicks said.
By building a village around student parents, The Momentum Network and its partners prove that when a mother moves forward, an entire community can move forward with her.
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