Home # 137
Tamara Medina is a longtime resident of the Champaign-Urbana community. Graduating from Centennial High School in 2018, Tamara currently serves as a Mortgage Operation Representative at First Federal Savings Bank of Champaign-Urbana. Outside the professional realm, Tamara enjoys reading, spending quality time with loved ones, and indulging in her passion for crafting delectable cake pops.
Tamara’s most cherished roles are as a mother to her four-year-old daughter and as the companion to Peach, their affectionate American Shorthair cat. She describes her daughter as, “Funny, smart, and caring…She truly is my biggest blessing.”
Her journey with Habitat for Humanity began with a realization of her readiness for homeownership, inspired by conversations with her mother and a chance encounter. Reflecting on her decision to apply, she emphasizes, “I immediately knew I had to apply, because it is such a great opportunity, and I am so grateful to be able to be a part of this program.”
Anticipating the transformative impact of homeownership, Tamara envisions providing her family with a stable and secure environment to thrive. She shares, “As a lower-class family, we don’t have the proper education on finances, credit, homebuying, and many other factors that are essential to successfully becoming a homeowner. A lot of people are first generation homebuyers, so they have no family to get advice or knowledge passed down to them. Habitat creating this opportunity is like being a part of their family…Because of Habitat, I will be able to provide my daughter with a safe space and the security of having a home that she can grow up in.”
Reflecting on her Habitat journey, she treasures the connections built with fellow homeowners and volunteers, sharing, “My favorite part of Habitat so far has been engaging with other homeowners and hearing their experiences while volunteering at the ReStore.” With heartfelt gratitude, Tamara shares, “I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone that was involved in making this project come to life. It truly has been one of my biggest accomplishments and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the help of everyone at Habitat, all the volunteers, family, and friends. I have learned so much and am hopeful that I will be able to pass down my newly gained knowledge to my daughter and others in the CU community.”