Annie

In her home country of Thailand, Annie* earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and was excited to spend time as an intern at a financial institution as a new grad. 

“I got offered a job as a Business Analyst in Thailand at a major bank. It was a very good opportunity, but I decided to move to the United States anyway.”

Annie met her husband while on vacation in the U.S., and as fate had it, he was from the same town as her in Thailand. After graduating high school, he moved to the U.S. and, after studying stateside, he loved the U.S. and wanted to try to build a life. Annie decided to join him in his dream and moved to the U.S. despite her bright future in Thailand. 

The new couple settled in Phoenix and opened a restaurant where Annie learned new skills like customer service, budgeting, and inventory management. She also practiced her English-speaking skills. 

“The language barrier was the biggest part of why I didn’t go straight into the financial industry when I first came to the U.S.. I wasn’t comfortable. I can work, but it’s hard when you cannot communicate.”

After five years in the restaurant, she had mastered working in the front and back of the house. But her interest in numbers always remained. 

“At the end of a busy day, everyone wanted to go home. It’s like working hard all day, but then I was the only one who wanted to see the day’s report. How did we do? Did we do well?”

Annie’s husband noticed that over time she had lost a little joy in her day-to-day life because despite enjoying the restaurant, she wasn’t doing what she truly loved. 

“I kept losing my confidence when I worked in the restaurant. I couldn’t see it at first, and my husband told me, ‘You’re losing your confidence. Do you want to try to do something that you enjoy?’ At first, I had to think, ‘What do I enjoy?’ And that’s when he said, ‘What about something with numbers again?’ So that’s why I started searching and found Fresh Start’s Women in Finance program.”

Annie joined a Women in Finance cohort beginning in January 2025 with the initial goal of finding a new career that she enjoyed. 

“I was so nervous that first day. Before, I didn’t go anywhere much. Just the restaurant for working. When you try to go somewhere new, it’s nerve-wracking but also exciting. I am stepping out of my comfort zone.”

From her education and job in Thailand, she knew she liked numbers and wanted to work in a bank, but wasn’t entirely sure which role she was seeking within the U.S. financial structure. 

“When you first look at the positions in the industry, some roles sound very similar. So, I didn’t know the difference between certain positions. Women in Finance helped me to identify the similarities and differences.”

Annie gained foundational knowledge about U.S. financial institutions, which varied in some ways from her education and experience in Thailand. Before Fresh Start, she worried that her skills might not transfer to the U.S. and that her English speaking skills would hinder her job prospects.

“I was scared that employers wouldn’t understand me and what I tried to say,” Annie shared. “When you’re not sure how to explain a situation, it is tough to explain your thoughts, but Fresh Start shows us how to communicate and express ourselves.”

She was so thrilled to be working toward her joy of working with numbers, Annie never felt like giving up. She was so excited to get started and continue the journey! 

“I think when you look at going into a role that you enjoy doing, for me, I enjoyed it even when it was challenging. I never wanted to give up.”

Annie felt safe in the learning environment created by Fresh Start and the other women in her cohort, who all came from a variety of backgrounds.

“We helped each other to identify what skills we all have. Sometimes you cannot see yourself and what you bring to the table.”

With the support of her fellow cohort of women and teacher, and the education she gained during the Women in Finance class, Annie felt empowered by her new voice. 

“I couldn’t talk like this before. It’s only a two-month class, but my confidence has returned. You couldn’t talk to me like this last year or even a few months ago. I couldn’t say one sentence. When you don’t have confidence, it’s tough to say anything.”

Before Fresh Start, Annie was afraid to put herself out there and apply to jobs, but her newfound confidence gave her courage. 

“It’s like if you want to win the lottery, but you don’t have the confidence to buy the ticket. During the class, they provided a lot of information about the financial field and its career paths, which I needed so that I felt comfortable applying.”

Looking back on the two months, Annie said she had so many milestones to be proud of during her Women in Finance program, but she was most proud of how she improved her interview skills after the mock interviews. 

“My interviewer made me more confident. I wasn’t confident at all before, but she told me that I did a good job. That confidence helps me to explain my thoughts more clearly. I can prepare more on how I’m going to explain things, and that gives me confidence too.”

She hopes other women know that there are lots of opportunities around them, if they know where to look. 

“Try to step out of your comfort zone. Maybe you’re going to see a lot of things that you didn’t know about. When you take one step out of your comfort zone, you’re going to see a lot of opportunities out there. A lot of people are ready to help you.”