Before I joined Pathways, I was completely lost in life. I was in a rough situation. I was in a years-long, emotionally abusive relationship, working at a job that was high stress and draining, and struggling with newly diagnosed health conditions. I was unfulfilled and directionless. I felt like I was going nowhere. I felt stuck.
I knew I wanted to continue my education, but it felt out of reach. I desperately wanted the ability to move on with my life. To build a future without the burden of mounting debt while keeping my health stable. None of it was working out for me.
I had been regularly seeing a therapist during that time. I had mentioned in passing my want of furthering my education. I’ve always been prone to bottling things up, but it was imperative in my journey to begin saying all these thoughts out loud. The following meeting she introduced me to pathways. Suddenly, what felt like a far-off goal became an immediate plunge. Now, about two years later, I’m a senior in a Bachelor’s program. I’ve since left that relationship and am actively on track to pursue a career I am passionate about. I am more free than I have ever felt in my entire life.
If I hadn’t learned to take that first step and simply start talking about the things I hoped to do with real intention, all of these wants would have stayed in my mind like distant echoes that may have never materialized.
