Jessica

With an injured shoulder, children to care for, bills to pay, and a job to retain, Jessica* felt her challenges compound and she became overwhelmed with worry. The early days of the Covid-19 pandemic raged on and there seemed to be no end to her stresses.  

After working as a physical therapist assistant for 15 years, Jessica felt the symptoms of burnout and was ready to make a career switch. Before she could gear up and truly explore other job opportunities, she tore her left shoulder in March 2020. Her injury was further exasperated due to limited treatment options in the initial days of the pandemic and delayed tissue healing. In Jessica’s words, “It was a huge emotional roller coaster.” 

Jessica went back-and-forth between work and short-term disability while caring for her children. She stressed about the unknown, wondering if she would have a job once her shoulder healed. Childcare and schools were both shut down and as a single mom she wasn’t sure how she was going to make ends meet. Ultimately, her fear came true, and Jessica was terminated in December 2020 – one week before Christmas.  

“It was kind of like this odd blessing in disguise,” Jessica reflected, chuckling. “I ended up on unemployment and went back to school for mental health counseling.” 

However, it wasn’t easy. Jessica struggled in some of the courses and she experienced a feeling of constant fatigue. 

After learning about Fresh Start in 2018, Jessica decided take full advantage of the organization’s resources, signing up for the mentorship program. Her mentor’s first suggestion was to try a support group for chronic fatigue and that led to her understanding her illness as she was officially diagnosed in June of 2022 with a genetic medical condition.  

With her condition identified and a new sense of confidence, Jessica participated in Fresh Start’s Personal Empowerment Series and the Grow with Google career certification.  

“The impact that Fresh Start has had on my life is that, during it all, they built up my confidence to not only ask for a position that is non-clinical, but also to ask for a role to accommodate my disability,” Jessica said. 

While Jessica isn’t where she wants to be yet in life, things are steadily improving as she takes steps forward towards a brighter future. With Fresh Start as a source of support and encouragement, Jessica knows she will be able to accomplish everything she is working to achieve.