Six-year-old Alisen loves the movie Finding Nemo and has a Dory bank where she keeps any spare change she finds or earns.

“She is saving money to decorate her room,” says her mom, Gladis. “Whenever she puts money in, she says she is feeding Dory.”

Gladis and her husband, Alejandro, will be the proud owners of Bryan/College Station Habitat for Humanity’s 285th home.

Currently, the couple and their daughter live with Gladis’s parents and brother. Alejandro works full-time for a landscape company, while Gladis is a stay-at-home mom who home schools Alisen.

“Alisen loves art and playing outside,” Gladis said. “She also loves flowers and wants to have a garden at the new house. I’m looking forward to that, too.”

Gladis and Alejandro were surprised and happy when they learned they had been accepted into the Habitat homebuyer program in July 2017. Since then, the couple has done more  than 275 of their required 500 sweat-equity hours, including attending the homebuyer education classes. Learning about the homebuying process and subjects like city code enforcement and credit were interesting and helpful, Gladis said.

As for working on building their home and the homes of other Habitat homebuyers, Alejandro has some experience because he worked for a construction company. Gladis, however, learned some new skills.

“Last time I got to use the drill,” she said. “I was excited. Next time I want to use the nail gun.”

As the wall raising date gets closer, the couple is focusing on completing the program and looking toward the future.

“Thank you to the donors and volunteers who are helping people like us and making our dream come true,” Gladis said. “We’ll have something that is ours, and our little girl can grow up in a home.”