This was Melissa Blue Muhammad’s life. She struggled with transportation issues for years. A college grad with a great family and an amazing job at Pearls for Teen Girls, she helps young women build a strong self-image and leadership skills every day.

The one thing Melissa didn't have was a reliable car. It was an older vehicle with a lot of problems. Melissa and her husband started to share the other vehicle in their household. She had difficulty making it to work and often relied on public transit or coworkers to help her get around.

Then, she remembered her mom went through a program to help her get a better car. She reached out to the YWCA of Southeast Wisconsin, which is supported by State Farm, to learn more about the Auto Loan Access program. Melissa was afraid her credit was too low and worried she could not get a car note.

But, she decided to tackle the issue and enrolled in the program. She attended several financial education workshops about saving and budgeting. She also learned about what can impact a person's credit score. She spent time reviewing her own credit score and found ways to improve it.