UWG Student Creates Non-Profit for Students with Disabilities

Perseverance pushes individuals to overcome hardships, and as a student with disabilities, Nemiah Hobbs embodies what it means to defeat the odds. Nemiah is a role model within her community who has used her own story to create a non-profit for those like her.

Project NEMIAH is a non-profit organization run by Nemiah Hobbs aimed to cultivate educational and career readiness for students struggling with disabilities. The goal of the organization is to create centers within various cities throughout Georgia and beyond where students that struggle with various disabilities are given an outlet to meet others with similar struggles as their own. 

These students will learn tips to ensure success in achieving their goals. Some services of the non-profit include academic support from specialists in different areas of education and university tours. NEMIAH stands for “No Excuses, Making It All Happen!” which coincides with the mission of her organization. 

Nemiah is highly motivated by personal experiences as she struggled with her own academic and life path. While understanding what it’s like to be a student with disabilities, her own experiences allow her to be a role model and advocate for the support these students need. 

“Despite what I went through growing up and all of my health issues such as academic disabilities and hearing loss, I’ve never let that stop me from doing what I knew I was capable of doing,” said Nemiah. “My family always had my back and was there for support—from medical appointments and hearing aids to school IEPs. Anything I needed my parents were there for me, so I never made excuses for not being able to be successful and do whatever I wanted to do with my life.”

Hobbs wants to provide the same support she received from her parents to her peers with disabilities. Project NEMIAH is set out to do the same thing for kids and teens that struggle with these same circumstances by providing support and guidance to those with disabilities. 

“Project NEMIAH’s plan is to help students with disabilities receive educational resources. Before they complete high school, they are given help to decide on a path while making sure their parents are comfortable and ready to send them off into the world,” said Nemiah. “Because of what I’ve gone through, I want to help those who are going through the same things due to disabilities and give them resources that their schools usually are not giving.” 

Project NEMIAH’s Facebook and Instagram pages post messages and videos that feature Hobbs where she speaks up for children and teens with disabilities. In her post she also encourages them to continue working hard despite their challenges. 

“I post informational messages talking about leadership goals, ways to build yourself up and any topic that will motivate kids and teens and inspire them to be successful in their lives,” said Nemiah. “I also do weekly inspirational messages, and I’ve been posting times where I speak in podcast interviews and for organizations like Voyage ATL and the Southern Christian Leadership magazine. I share what Project NEMIAH is doing and keep my followers updated on the progress it has made.”

            Nemiah and her organization exemplify an advocacy for silenced voices and a support system for those who may not have anyone else to turn to. Carrollton community members can look forward to future expansion of the business and opportunities to work with the organization as it grows.

“Project NEMIAH means a way to help others,” said Nemiah. “I love helping others and the fact that I’ll be able to work with students with disabilities like me.

 “I believe this will give them the confidence that they need to be able to live their own lives and successfully be out in the world,” continued Nemiah. “The world is full of people like us, and I want their parents and themselves to not be afraid when it is time for them to move on. And I want them to be confident knowing that they can go to college and that they can get that job they want.”