“I’m not sure where it started, but I got the idea that I wasn’t doing anything. That I was completely dependent on my husband for everything, but I wasn’t. Somewhere in there, there was a shift that made me realize I have been doing everything my whole life.”
Paulina* was in the middle of a separation from her husband and was unsure if they would move forward with an official divorce. The idea of no longer being married rocked her to the core.
“I didn’t know if I could do anything [without him]…I felt like, ‘How am I going to be able to get through life if I’m not married?’ I didn’t have any skills. I didn’t feel beautiful.”
On the advice of a friend, she went to Fresh Start’s Law Day to gain free legal advice.
“After that day, I knew what divorce was going to look like, what to expect, and that there were people available to help me if I had any questions. I learned that I can’t always do it all myself.”
Paulina returned to participate in Fresh Start’s Personal Empowerment Series and also took a financial literacy course. She credited Fresh Start with helping her realize how much she had going for her: she already earned two bachelor’s degrees!
“I have no one to take care of me… I can’t stop working because I don’t have money to retire. I don’t have a husband to take care of me. I’ve got me, and I struggle all the time trying to pay my bills, to take care of the roof over my head and my car, and that’s all I’ve got. That’s where this comes in. This is going to set me on a path that is going to take care of me.”
Fresh Start helped her acquire a business suit for interviews and reviewed and updated her resume. One of her first job interviews was at CVS. She proudly walked in with the outfit she received from Fresh Start.
“I felt comfortable and confident in the clothes I was given for the interview. That was a big deal. It made a difference… Fresh Start helped me make a next step because sometimes I didn’t always know there was a next step.”
Her confidence and skills were clearly demonstrated during the interview, as Paulina landed a job at CVS and continued her career there for the next decade.
Fresh Start brought stability to her life in a time of deep chaos. A new job after divorce helped Paulina feel empowered by her strength and individuality.
“Having a job that I stayed in love with at CVS for so long was a big deal. During that time, I got a car, I had my own apartment, I got to live by myself, I got myself on my feet.”
Fast forward 10 years, and Paulina’s treasured career at CVS came to an abrupt end in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. One day at work, employees were told to pack up their things and be out of the building in the next 15 minutes. She panicked and wondered if she’d ever see her beloved coworkers or boss again.
“A couple of days later, I found out that my boss quit… They dissolved my entire team. I didn’t know if I was going to be let go.”
In the end, she was moved to a new team that didn’t feel like a proper fit. She decided to quit and tried to apply for other roles.
Paulina always kept tabs on Fresh Start’s offerings and was excited to learn about Fresh Start’s Cable Harness Technician program through its newsletter. It sounded like a perfect opportunity to move into a technical field.
“I remember applying, and Trey was interviewing me, and he asked, ‘Why do you want to be in this class?’ and I said, ‘One day I hope to be with NASA. I want to work in aerospace.”
She was accepted into the program, and in the days leading up to her first day, she wondered how she could learn everything she needed in just two weeks.
“The program was straightforward, but all the technical reading and the certification test were serious. It was hard. It made me realize this is a true craft.”
She finished the two weeks with flying colors and carried a strong sense of accomplishment for days after passing the test.
“Once I put the knowledge from the training to the test, and actually did it, and did a good job, I felt like, ‘Wow, that was really difficult.’ I had a whole new respect for what wire harnessing would be. This is serious, there are regulations, laws, expectations.”
After completing the Cable Harness Technician program with Fresh Start, Paulina was hired at Honeywell as an Assembly Technician.
“I have a better and clearer path because Fresh Start helped me gather information and show me what’s going on… I can look at what someone is doing or building and know what’s happening and what they need. That’s a lot more than I had before coming to Fresh Start.”