“I’m proud of being in a new ‘vibe.’ In a safe, stable, calm, functioning way of being. That was a tough switch from all that chaos, instability, and uncertainty to now feeling much more secure and offering my daughter a lot more normalcy.”
Genevieve* took a chance when she packed up her entire life with her 12-year-old daughter and their two cats, and moved across the country to Phoenix.
“I was in quite a bit of a crisis…I was stressed because I didn’t know how things would shake out.”
At the time of their big move, Genevieve hadn’t secured her new job or a home for their family. She found an Airbnb rental to temporarily call home, but without a real kitchen it simply provided a roof over their heads. It certainly wasn’t to the standard that she wanted for her daughter’s childhood.
“It was so expensive for this tiny little house in this dodgy neighborhood where we didn’t feel safe. The neighbors would set off fireworks, and sometimes, they hit our tiny house, and it sounded like war,” she reflected.
Genevieve felt alone in their new city, which is a scary feeling for anyone, but especially a mother raising a young child. While she provided the support system for her daughter, no one was there for her.
“The whole time I tried to put on a brave face so my daughter didn’t feel the stress and instead thought we were having some adventure, but it was a scary start.”
Genevieve secured a fully remote job but still wanted assistance in expanding her skill set. She hoped to find a local position that included higher pay and the opportunity to spend more quality time with her daughter. One day, she Googled women’s resources in Phoenix and found Fresh Start.
She was intrigued by Fresh Start’s one-on-one social work support and success coaching, but hesitant because of the stigma surrounding the general term “social worker.”
“With the term ‘social worker,’ I was really nervous and took time before I started because some social work includes separating families and state stuff.”
She quickly learned how Fresh Start’s social workers prioritize your needs, help set achievable goals, track progress, tackle any barriers, and celebrate the wins in your life.
Fresh Start connected Genevieve to her personal success coach, Anna. Together, they set new goals for Genevieve, including applying to the Composite Technician program hosted in partnership between Fresh Start and Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC).
She was no stranger to the education system; Genevieve earned a PhD and spent several years working with students.
“I want to show my daughter you can be a lifelong learner. We don’t want to ‘rest on our laurels.’”
Genevieve was always motivated to go as far as she could in her pursuit of education.
“One of the reasons I got a PhD was because I flunked second grade and I felt really confused, and dumb and different…I had taken that on as a self-descriptive part of my identity: being slow or unintelligent.”
She hoped that attaining a PhD would correct how people treated her and how she spoke to herself. She grappled with the idea of external validation in the form of educational achievement.
“I had been using external things like, ‘If I meet this mark, then I’ll be okay,’ or ‘If I can do this and achieve that, then that’s a sign I’ll be okay,’ but now, I think that it’s more about feeling in alignment with my own purpose and self.”
In continued pursuit of her own purpose, she was excited to learn she had been accepted into the Composite Technician program. However, her enrollment brought a new challenge: she needed someone to pick up her daughter from school while she was in class for the next two weeks.
“My daughter is used to me picking her up after school and this was a big leap of faith, as well as pushing myself out of my comfort zone to ask for help.”
Genevieve posted her plea for after-school pick-up in a neighborhood group chat and was shocked when four different people volunteered to assist. One woman even volunteered for each day of Genevieve’s request.
While Genevieve was in class, the neighbor picked up her daughter without fail from school each day. It was hard for Genevieve to ask for help, but it created a strong bond and a newfound friendship for her family.
“The neighbor found out that Indian food is my daughter’s favorite, so they’re going to take us out to dinner at an Indian restaurant. She’s so excited for it. I’m excited for it. It was so huge that this neighbor stepped up so that I could step into this opportunity and that my daughter went along with it.”
The two-week course was intensive for Genevieve, who didn’t have a science background, but she quickly understood the material, especially the instructor’s teaching style.
“I enjoyed how accessible the teacher made it because Composite can be filled with jargon words that look really intimidating. But the teacher broke it down…he basically said, ‘We’re in arts and crafts class.’ He took something that seemed complex and made it feel achievable and accessible.”
As Genevieve continued to work with Fresh Start and her success coach, she felt herself switch out of survival mode.
“I am grateful for the stabilization [Fresh Start gave me], for being in a really good place now because it was scary, daunting, and chaotic before. It was hard to manifest good things when I was so freaked out about, ‘Are we going to have a roof over our head?’ All those puzzle pieces have come together, and now I’m focusing on new things: getting my resume polished, feeling more comfortable with interviews, and practicing knowing my worth.”
Fresh Start also helped connect Genevieve to WHEAT, where she could pick out interview clothes and shoes.
“It’s been great to know I can get through a work week and have professional clothes to wear.”
As Genevieve’s confidence and feeling of security grew at Fresh Start, she saw proof of the change reflected in her parenting.
“I’m feeling healthy and happy and calm. My parenting is in a good place because I’m less reactive and cranky. Those are all really good signs of being successful!”
Genevieve passed the Composite Technician program, earning another certificate to add to her impressive academic accomplishments. She looked forward to jumping into a new career that would allow her to provide for her family and spend more time with her daughter.
“I really like that [as a composite technician] you have something to show at the end. You can hold the fruit of your labors. Here it is! And when you clock out, no one is pinging you. You can be totally present with your family when you’re off work.”
She hopes her story inspires other women to know they can change their circumstances and have the life they deserve.
“They can do it! Women are stronger than they know, and it’s normal to have self-doubt; it’s just a matter of learning how to turn the volume down on that inner critic.”
Genevieve’s journey continued as she searched for the perfect role. As she continued applying to different open job opportunities, she remembered other women she knew in graduate school who never took the time to celebrate their victories – big or small.
“I recognize that it’s important to pause, breathe, and pat yourself on the back. I want to model that for my daughter. I’ve been just go, go, go. I want to [show my daughter that we can] stop and smell the roses.”