Mietz graduated from high school in Port Charlotte, Florida, but cam back to Michigan to be near her mother. AFDC became a necessity when she found she was expecting a baby in August of 1989. She request participation in the MOST Program after her son, Channing, was born in January of 1990. She said then that this would help her to get the education and training she needed to get off AFDC.

Her training began at Northeastern School of Commerce where she studied accounting/data entry for one year. She then transferred to Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) to study psychology and communications. Getting a job in these fields is her ultimate career goal.

Mietz had an uphill battle while attempting to complete her education. Channing has asthma and was often ill and in and out of the hospital. During that time, Mietz not only provided for her son but also maintained a 3.18 G.P.A. in school and held down a job.

Today Mietz is a senior at SVSU and works as a volunteer with other public assistance clients "to help them gain self-sufficiency and end their welfare status."

She has written two articles that have been published by the Bay City Times and has been interviewed about welfare reform for articles that appeared in Bay City, Saginaw and Lansing.