COLUMBUS, Ohio — Getting back on your feet can be tough when you've experienced a major setback.

But for one woman, her determination to make a better life for herself has paid off, with the help of an organization that empowers women to be economically self-sufficient. 

• After escaping an abusive marriage, the Moroccan native managed to get back on her feet with the help of Dress for Success
• The teacher by trade went back to school in 2013 to become a nurse
• She recently started working at the Heinzerling community, where she helps care for kids with severe disabilities  

Moroccan native Rachida Aaraichi heads in for an early morning shift at the Heinzerling Community in Columbus.

She's in training as a nurse, helping to take care of kids with the most severe disabilities.

It's a job she enjoys, but one she never imagined she could have.

That's because she survived years of domestic abuse in her marriage.

She says her ex-husband used to tell her she could never go to school.

She says one day she decided to leave, and that's when her whole life changed.

Determined to succeed and make a life for herself and her daughter, the teacher by trade went to work a number of jobs, but realized she really wanted to be a nurse.

So, she went back to school in 2013 and started working as a nurse's aide.

It took her multiple times to pass the required tests, but she did it.

"I just feel happy and blessed every day to do what I want to do in my life," said Aaraichi.

Getting to where she is now wasn't easy, but help along the way made it possible.

That's help from Dress for Success, a place that empowers women to succeed on the job and in life. 

Coming back for a visit, Aaraichi says she learned a lot after taking a number of classes on how to build her resume and gain financial skills.

She says the kindness she received, the power she gained, and her newfound confidence means so much, as she knows she can make it now. 

The Dress for Success Woman of Power and registered nurse says she can't believe she's made it this far.

She says it's only because of God that she's been able to care for people as she does now, while working in a field that she loves.

Aaraichi is expected to finish her training as a nurse soon and will start as a full-fledged nurse at Heinzerling in January.