Te’Lia danced, smiled and held a set of keys high in the air. The Omaha native had accomplished what she previously thought was unattainable. She was a homeowner.

The path to homeownership came out of the drive to better herself, which began with a 150-pound weight loss.

“When you prove to yourself you can do something, it’s like boom. The sky is the limit from here. I could probably do anything if I set my mind to it,” she said.

With that one big item crossed off her list, Te’Lia turned her dedication and determination to figure out how she could purchase her own home.

That one step led her to reach out to a realtor. Through another friend, Telia met developer Donell Brown, who had partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Omaha on homes he was building in North Omaha. He explained how the organization’s Home Journey program could help her.

The Home Journey program offers financial education, affordable mortgage loans and community resources to help hardworking people buy homes and build a lasting foundation for future generations.

“The biggest thing for me throughout the process was (Family Services Senior Program Manager) Tayien sitting down and explaining how this would positively affect me in 10 years,” Te’Lia said.

After completing the requirements, Te’Lia, a strategic consultant for LinkedIn, closed on her three-bedroom, two-bathroom home along Ohio Street in April. Prior to purchasing her house, she lived in a one-bedroom apartment in Papillion.

“It was a big change,” she said.

Te’Lia hugs her mom during her closing ceremony.

On the day of her home closing, Te’Lia surprised her family. She had kept her entire home-buying journey a secret from her mother and grandparents. It wasn’t until they arrived at Habitat Omaha’s office that she told them she was buying a house.

“What greater way could I honor them than to surprise my mom and grandma, who supported me 100% through my weight loss journey,” she said.

She also purchased her home in honor of her dad and her great-grandmother, both of whom had passed away.

At 28 years old, Te’Lia knows most people her age aren’t looking to buy their own home. But she wants them to know homeownership is possible for them, and Habitat Omaha can help.

“Step out on faith. Faith is trusting in something you can’t see it, and sometimes the finish line is blurry because you feel like when you have that finish line set, there are roadblocks. That’s OK.

“It’s a no-brainer if you can take that first step and believe in yourself, find your contact, reach out, apply for the program, do whatever you must,” Te’Lia added. “It starts with just that one step. That one thought that turns into the one step, that turns into another step.”