Nikia Morton began her journey with Community Action as a Teen Program Manager. She now serves as the Director of Learning and Adult Preparation. Morton comes from a range of experience. She has overseen Club operations for the Stateline Boys & Girls Clubs and Club school sites for the Boys & Girls Club of Janesville, along with overseeing the Dane County Job Center for three years and all aspects of W-2 and FSET for six counties. She has also managed a regional call center that provides Emergency Assistance processing for 41 Wisconsin Counties. Prior to her work with Forward Service Corporation, she was a Human Services Coordinator for the Department of Children and Families and has extensive experience delivering case management services for women and youth.  Morton’s passion is working with youth and helping others. Outside of work, she also enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and practicing self-care. She especially loves a great game of basketball, football, and volleyball.

Proud Mother and grandmother. Entrepreneur, gig worker & life learner. My passions are helping people and trying new foods. I’ve lived in Wisconsin approximately 30 years. I moved here from the south side of Chicago. Raised in Roseland then I lived in Altgeld Gardens housing project for 7 years before discovering Beloit Wisconsin. I have an Associate Degree from Kennedy King College & Business management credits from Blackhawk tech. I raised my children in Wisconsin. I’ve worked as a Certified nurse assistant, Licensed/certified Daycare owner, factory worker, and various other careers. My daycare home, In Our Prayers Daycare, was featured two consecutive years in Blackhawk Techs parade of daycare homes. Being married to an incarcerated individual when I moved to Wisconsin, I got familiar with the corrections department very quickly and also gained my independence through divorce after 22 years of marriage. One day on an Instacart order I noticed a flyer about ECCHO and decided to give it a try. It was a great experience and I hope we were able to inform Rock County residents on housing issues and resources. I enjoyed meeting the women I worked with and introducing them to my mother the matriarch of our family who recently transitioned, but not before making a positive impact on my cohort sisters. ECCHO has been an excellent experience and I will encourage the next generation to join and contribute your talents abilities and passions. Hey, let’s see what happens.

My name is Kathleen Schultz, my preference is Kathy. I'm 56 year old mother of 5 grown children and grandmother to 7 grandchildren. I am native American. A tribal member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe (Chippewa). I have lived in Rock County since arriving in Beloit, WI back in the summer of 1989, just a single mom of two young children with no work experience and a fresh HSED. The Beloit community eventually became home because they helped me get a job and get a place and make my home there. Although I have spent the last 20 years in Janesville, I have always felt the desire to pay back the kindness I received from this community because they welcomed me and lifted me up. I found this cohort notice as a random act of the universe. I did not know coming into this organization that I could get the chance to repay the wonderful Beloit community for the support that helped to rebuild my life. I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this group of amazing ladies and my only regret is that our time working together is not longer. I have learned much about civic responsibility and opportunity and feel this will embolden me to participate in more ways than simply voting. My time with this organization has been valuable in ways that were not expected.

Hello my name is Lola McCaa I am 47 years old three adult kids and one grandchild proud grandmother I am. I've lived in what since 1994 all three of my kids have graduated from the Beloit School district and that makes me proud. But I myself have CDLs since 2007 I've driven school buses city buses 18 wheelers and concrete mixers and I loved every bit of it. I am a highly motivated and positive person don't like negativity around me so I try to stay clear of it, which is one of the reasons I joined and wanted to become a Rock County Cohort for Eccho I'm glad I did join because I've been trying and the people that I spent the time getting out of my comfort zone was somewhat a task but I made it happen I enjoy making friends with the ladies here and my Rock County group these are some amazing women and I look forward to coming back next year being a part of this amazing group with even more amazing women! For giving me this chance and opportunity of being a part of something so wonderful see you guys next year.

My name is Joya Saxena, I am 22 years old and I am a senior at Beloit College studying Sociology with a minor in Political Science. I am also a teaching assistant at the YWCA of Rock County working with children between 5 and 12 years old. Helping people has been my lifelong passion. Hailing from San Diego, CA, I started out as a student organizer for the March For Our Lives movement at the age of 16. Since then, I have been involved in other organizations including but not limited to the Aeiramique Glass-Blake for Congress 2020 campaign and San Diego 350, an organization dedicated to promoting environmental sustainability. I transferred to Beloit College in 2022 as a sophomore after my previous school, Mills College, merged with Northeastern University. Moving to Wisconsin has allowed me to start over and be the community servant I’ve always wanted to be. Since transferring to Beloit, I’ve had so many amazing opportunities both on campus and in the community, including ECCHO. I joined this year’s ECCHO cohort upon the recommendation of Daksha Howard, my campus mentor (and surrogate mom) who served as part of last year’s inaugural cohort. It has truly been a pleasure getting to know these amazing women and learning about civic engagement. Making a positive impact on communities is my calling and I have loved every minute of this journey with my ECCHO family. I believe that when women of color come together, we move mountains. Being a part of this cohort has helped me realize that.

Wow what an amazing experience to have worked with such amazing awesome and anointed talent ladies.
ECCHO has been an inspiration for my next project that will happen
In currently raising my 14th and 15th kids ages 6 and 14. My passion is sowing seeds and helping them to be themselves. Although we didn’t build a house with bricks and mortar we acquired the information that we will share with others in the community and helped us to see some needs within our communities and hopefully the changes will come. Remember without labor nothing prospers. Hard work spotlights the character of people some turn up their sleeves some turn up their noses and some don’t turn up at all. Keep turning up keep going keep smiling keep laughing keep learning keep growing keep giving but most of keep LOVING

Wow what an amazing experience to have worked with such amazing awesome and anointed talent ladies.
ECCHO has been an inspiration for my next project that will happen
In currently raising my 14th and 15th kids ages 6 and 14. My passion is sowing seeds and helping them to be themselves. Although we didn’t build a house with bricks and mortar we acquired the information that we will share with others in the community and helped us to see some needs within our communities and hopefully the changes will come. Remember without labor nothing prospers. Hard work spotlights the character of people some turn up their sleeves some turn up their noses and some don’t turn up at all. Keep turning up keep going keep smiling keep laughing keep learning keep growing keep giving but most of keep LOVING