Shelene

Shelene* first came to Fresh Start 10 years ago when she was in an abusive relationship with her husband and the father of her three children. In getting out of the relationship that spanned over 25 years, Shelene had to completely start over, and she sadly lost all communication with her three children.  

“I got counseling with Fresh Start’s help to make me a little stronger. I had finally gotten away from him but the time that I was with him caused PTSD and anxiety disorder.”  

Shelene needed support to help manage her anxiety and adopted Cooper, her service dog in training. Cooper brought a new joy into Shelene’s life, but she worried about the reality of living with a service dog and the stigmas surrounding them.  

Her fears were actualized when her current workplace didn’t allow Cooper’s presence in the office. Shelene knew she needed his help to be out in the world and so she quit her job in February 2023.  

Shelene spent the next year unemployed and unsuccessfully applying for jobs. In that time span she believes she applied to nearly 100 open positions with no luck. 

She went into a deep depression without the personal empowerment that holding a job provides. One day in the depths of her despair, she recalled Fresh Start and its help all those years ago. She found the Fresh Start website and researched which courses were upcoming and open. First, she took the Five C’s of Credit for Business and then she saw the Women in Finance program was open and applied. Her last job was in mortgage servicing, so she thought she could have some transferable skills for the finance industry.  

She was accepted into Fresh Start’s third Women in Finance cohort, and even better, Shelene was told she could bring Cooper to class each day.  

“The class structure was great. At first, I was nervous about bringing Cooper because he was still in training and hadn’t been in a classroom or business environment yet. But he did great and the women in the class loved him.” 

As the days passed in the Women in Finance cohort, Shelene regained a sense of purpose and learned clear steps to start her career change. 

“It gave me purpose again. I didn’t just sit in my room in the dark like I had before. I actually looked forward to getting up, and getting ready and leaving and coming to class.”  

One of the course’s biggest challenges for Shelene was working on her resume, cover letter, and elevator speech. She had trouble putting her skills into words on paper.  

“I really struggled on my own resume. I could help all the other women edit theirs and make it sound better, but I couldn’t even put something on paper for mine.” 

To overcome this challenge, Shelene remembered Fresh Start team member Sandra’s offer of help with any issues that came up during the cohort and decided to reach out.  

“I felt like giving up with all the writing stuff. I just thought, ‘I can’t do this.’ That’s when I thought, ‘Okay, Sandra said to reach out if we need her,’ and it worked,” Shelene said.  

Sandra and Shelene met one-on-one to spend dedicated time focused on crafting Shelene’s resume, cover letter and elevator speech. Shelene was also able to recognize soft and hard skills from her previous experience that added unique personalization to her resume.  

A big motivator for Shelene was the potential of a job that she could do with Cooper.  

“I want a job that I can enjoy and take Cooper to. And if I didn’t learn how to do a resume that could get attention and a cover letter and an elevator speech, then I wouldn’t be able to get that job, I’d have to take whatever came along. I didn’t want to quit. I wanted to finish,” she said.  

In addition to needing Cooper, her emotional support dog, with her on the job, ​​Shelene faced an additional health challenge during the cohort. She underwent major eye surgery that kept her from driving and left her face black and blue while healing.  

In that moment of hardship, Shelene found that everyone around her was rooting for her. She had to miss the last two classes but mustered the energy to make it to the career fair at the end of the program.  

“I came to the career fair because it was too important, I didn’t want to miss meeting all the employers.  Even though I was in pain and it was hard to drive, I still got there, and I wouldn’t have even attempted that before,” she recalled. 

With a black and blue eye, Shelene expressed to her Fresh Start instructors that she was worried what the employers would think of her appearance. She didn’t want them to get the wrong impression. But the Fresh Start team encouraged her to explain her situation to those she spoke with.  

“The interviewers told me that (attending the career fair) was a reflection of my determination and dedication because I showed up even though I was black and blue. I couldn’t even wear make-up.”  

After the career fair, Shelene was even more empowered by her resume which received compliments from multiple employers. 

“I think I’m most proud of my resume. Every single employer who saw it loved it. They said it was clear and concise, with lots of good information. My resume is my most proud accomplishment out of this course,” she said.  

Shelene achieved multiple personal goals throughout the cohort but the cherry on top was learning that she and Cooper could handle being out in the world together. During the six week course, her and Cooper strengthened their bond as a team.  

“Even though he’s not done with his training, he stepped up to the plate so that I could be here. So even on days when I thought I shouldn’t go, he got all excited to go and that helped me. I proved to myself that I can do it. That we can do it together because we’re a team. Being in the classroom for six weeks, I learned to read his cues more and he alerted me when I needed it.”  

Fresh Start and the Women in Finance cohort opened an entire new avenue of possibilities for Shelene (and Cooper). 

With several good leads generated from the career fair, Shelene is eager and excited for what the future holds. She discovered that one employer offered remote jobs which would allow her to stay home with Cooper and stay on track to take classes for an undergraduate degree.  

“Fresh Start has made my sense of self-worth bigger, especially when it came to Cooper. He is my best friend, he made it possible to come to class every day. I know now, it doesn’t make me any less worthy because I need him. And I needed that confidence.” 

For other women thinking about utilizing Fresh Start’s resources, Shelene hopes they find the courage to take the step no matter how challenging it feels at the moment.  

“Just because it feels like it’s impossible, doesn’t mean it is. You may have to work harder, but you’ll get there. You just have to stay positive. I didn’t think I could be where I am today. I’m working towards my goals and dreams. I wouldn’t have been able to participate in all of this if I had stayed in my situation. Just remember, it’s possible.”  

Shelene was honored for her accomplishments at Fresh Start’s Celebration of Success event in June 2024. With Cooper at her side, she received her Women in Finance certificate and shared words of encouragement for other women hoping to make a positive change in their lives.

Shelene and Cooper receive the Fresh Start education certificate.