What issues were you struggling with that led you to the program?
For about nine months I worked in a job that from the outside seemed easy, but from the inside I was experiencing more anxiety than I ever have. I felt micromanaged and had daily self-doubt and legitimate worry that I could be jeopardizing my future somehow. After losing the job I was intimidated out of seeking any financial assistance, and was relying on my loved ones to pay rent and buy food. Although I felt very fortunate to have help, because lord knows not everyone has this luxury; my dignity was taking quite the hit. It wasn’t the first time I’ve eaten top ramen twice in one day because I felt too proud to ask for help to buy some bread and eggs. I called Vance, a trusted friend, to seek any advice that could be offered. I was applying for every job I could find, regardless of wage or travel distance, with no luck. It seemed like struggling through college and all the help my family and friends had given me was for nothing; I couldn’t even get a minimum wage job because I had no experience, let alone something decent that was once the likely product of a Bachelor’s degree. The one area I had experience in was the one I was desperate to get away from; I felt that settling for the another job that had given me so much anxiety would be selling out and admitting I wasn’t worth more. Continue reading