Divina

Divina* discovered Fresh Start at the biggest turning point in her young adult life. A major medical crisis with her ongoing severe degenerative disc disease, sciatic nerve damage and chronic foot drop, forced her to step away from work and reconsider what she wanted for her future.

After years of pushing herself to meet the expectations of others, personally, professionally, spiritually and financially, Divina’s body had reached a point where it could no longer keep up.

Unable to work, facing medical bills and relying on her family financially, she found herself confronting something she had avoided for much of her life: money.

“I had zero knowledge of finances coming in. I knew I needed that support, more than my parents could provide and more than what I could Google online.”

Her complicated relationship with money stretched beyond her recent medical bills and was rooted in her childhood experience. Growing up as the eldest child, she was aware of her parent’s financial circumstances and had a front row seat to the fall of their income status when her father’s business project fell through. She learned that stability could disappear quickly. Divina began to associate money with uncertainty, dependence, and even conflict, and as a result, she felt the growing need to be “perfect” in the eyes of others.

“Because of my background and traumas, I always looked at everyone else to make sure they were okay, so that I could be okay and safe.”

Then, as a recent graduate of Arizona State University, Divina attended an event where she came across a Fresh Start table.

Fresh Start’s five pillars immediately resonated with her, but the financial pillar stood out most. Divina joined a Fresh Start support group where she met team member Nancy, who encouraged her to apply for the Women in Finance program.

Divina entered the program expecting to learn basic financial skills and what she discovered was so much more.

“The biggest lesson is how interconnected finances are to everything.”

It was clear: financial well-being touched every area of her life. As the weeks passed, Divina began shifting her understanding of money from something intimidating and unpredictable to a tool she could learn to manage and invest in. Budgeting and understanding debt became steps toward something larger: independence.

Even the way Divina thought about spending was transformed. Even paying for things that supported her health no longer felt like money simply leaving the account; it was an investment in herself.

That mindset shift was significant for someone who spent much of her life prioritizing everyone else over herself.

“I really want to find peace in having a wealth mindset, to understand that when I invest in myself, I’m not lacking; I’m creating abundance. I deserve to invest in myself because I’m worth it, and I wasn’t able to say that before I came here.”

The program also gave Divina something she hadn’t necessarily expected: community. Morning after morning she showed up alongside other women who were also investing in their futures. They built relationships, exchanged contact information, and connected on LinkedIn to ensure they could stay in touch. By the end of the program, saying goodbye to that routine felt bittersweet.

Divina felt the strongest transformation internally as Fresh Start reinforced a lesson she had been learning throughout her healing journey: she did not have to become someone else to build a successful future.

“Not only am I allowed to be myself, but it’s actually the best thing for any career or field that I go into. I don’t have to put on that mask and pretend to be anyone other than who I am. That’s my greatest strength.”

Today, the financial empowerment she gained through the Women in Finance program trickled into other areas of her life. Through everyday decisions, Divina began prioritizing herself in small ways at home, from planning meals around her health needs to allowing other family members to take responsibility for themselves rather than her stepping in.

“I’ve always tried to set a good example for my younger siblings, and now I see them making positive choices on their own, without me having to push them. It’s so freeing to let them be who they are and trust that they’re their own people.”

For years, Divinia’s independence felt uncertain. Now, she can imagine what life might feel like with true self-sufficiency.

“What would happen if I had my own source of wealth and I didn’t have to depend on anyone? That is the biggest freedom that I could experience.”

When asked to describe herself before Fresh Start, four words came to mind: scared, anxious, hurting, and curious.

After just two months in the program?

Empowered, grateful, and excited by the possibilities of what comes next.

Divina’s story is still unfolding, but she no longer feels the need to have every answer before moving forward. She is learning to trust herself enough to take the next step.

“This truly is my fresh start for me to live the life that I want to live, not the one that other people tell me I should.”