Thank you to the wonderful women who answered the call to be interviewed. It takes a lot to open up about who you are. You are who you are and this process can be a little intimidating. Thank you to all of my volunteers. As women we all have unique situations that vary but collectively we go through much of the same things. Not just for this month or for the #METOO movement, let’s all bond as one.
Stephanie S., is a mother to two beautiful girls. Her oldest is actually her niece that she has raised since she was 13 until the age of 18 and her youngest is her biological daughter, she’s 4-years-old. She’s been with her husband for 16 years and they will be celebrating their 9th wedding anniversary on May 9th. She’s one of a few in her family to graduate high school and college and have gone onto graduate school. She still has 3 more classes to go before she graduates. She was laid off in 2015 and found two jobs the following year in 2016, but she’s only working at one of those jobs and couldn’t be more happier. She is finally in a place that she enjoys where she is currently.
What she would tell her younger self:
The life ahead of you will not be easy, but keep faith in God and trust that He will not give you more than you can handle. Also, you need to relax more, things will work themselves out in the end.
Lessons for her daughters:
Nothing in life is truly free. Be honest, be kind, and the world will be yours.
Love: Don’t rush into it. If you truly want to know if your partner is right for you, please don’t be afraid to bring them to meet your father or me.
Career: don’t settle for comfort. Find a career that you’re truly passionate about and makes you happy to go to everyday. In the end, if there’s anything in all three that you feel uncomfortable with, let someone know. Don’t be afraid to tell anyone.
Our future and where we want to be should be something that we attempt to work at all the time. Nothing is simply going to be handed to us. I asked where Stephanie sees herself in 5 years:
In a better position at my job. I love my place of employment, but would like to advance to higher position.
What are the things you have accomplished:
Well, when it comes to personal accomplishments, I’d say, participating in art shows. I love art and to be able to participate in art shows has been such an honor and a joy to share my own work with others who love art just as much as I do.
Another personal accomplishment is that I decided to go to grad school to get my Master’s degree. I haven’t finished my grad schooling yet, but I will soon or at least hope to.
Career accomplishments, I would say is jumping into a position that no one else wanted and ended up being the best person they had done the job.
I think we tend to hold certain people in high regards. This #METOO movement has allowed some of the ones we hold high to be seen differently. No matter who it is, if you have sexually assaulted, harassed or abused another woman regardless of which roles you may have played, how much money you have, even if you are someone’s boss, it’s not okay.
What are your thoughts on the #METOO movement:
To be honest, I didn’t want to believe that some of the things being said about celebrities like Bill Cosby were true, but when you have so many women coming forward, then there must be some truth to the allegations. It’s great that more women are coming forward and ousting their tormentors/abusers. Women shouldn’t be afraid to speak out. Value your self-worth before you value where your career can take you. I feel my youngest is too young to truly understand what the movement means so I’m unsure of how I plan on using the movement. The closest thing I can think of to tell my daughter would be, “If you don’t like someone touching you or you feel uncomfortable, don’t be afraid to tell anyone.”
What are the things that Stephanie is looking to accomplish or crush:
The major thing on my heart that I hope to crush is completing my graduate degree. When I do go back to complete it, I will have to pay for my three classes and I just can’t afford to pay for them right now. So as soon as I can afford it, then I will complete my degree.
Lastly what does self-love look like to you:
Accepting myself for who I am. I am a person who is shy, but is trying to be more vocal when I need to be. When having a rough day, listening to music every chance I get. When I’m home, I wait until my daughter is in to bed to sit at my desk and write in my bullet journal or plan things out in my other planners. And as silly as it sounds, I like to straighten my hair sometimes because it makes me feel good about my looks. I chose to give up drinking sodas in order to care about my health. I was drinking sodas to keep my energy levels up especially when I was at work, but I realized that as long as I’m laughing and staying productive at work, my energy is generally high or at a normal level. Plus, I don’t get headaches anymore. In place of sodas, I’ve been drinking more water. Still working on getting to bed at a normal hour, but I will get there in time.
Stephanie thank you again for participating. I am sending positive vibes that you will get the funding you need to complete your master’s degree. Do NOT stop just because you have this hiccup in the road. I hope your daughters know just how smart, how beautiful, how strong you really are. I hope through your example that others around you will know continue to have purpose and move towards that purpose daily.
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