WEBVTT 00:00:12.780 --> 00:00:16.199 Student Stories, our very exciting segment of 00:00:16.199 --> 00:00:18.980 the Messenger Mic Up, where we get to know students 00:00:18.980 --> 00:00:22.640 here on the JCCC campus. I'm Jen. We're thrilled 00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:24.899 that you're here with us today. And we're also 00:00:24.899 --> 00:00:26.899 thrilled to welcome a new friend to our show. 00:00:26.980 --> 00:00:29.120 New friend, please introduce yourself to our 00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:32.000 listeners and our viewers. Yes. Hi, I'm Jordan. 00:00:32.820 --> 00:00:38.079 I am 27. I'm a mom. I'm married. And I'm also 00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:43.380 a full -time student at JCCC. JCCC, yes. And 00:00:43.380 --> 00:00:47.280 yeah, I'm excited. Love that. So you have a pretty 00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:50.320 incredible backstory. And I'm so thrilled that 00:00:50.320 --> 00:00:53.079 you are here today to share that with us. If 00:00:53.079 --> 00:00:55.359 you would, please tell your story to our listeners 00:00:55.359 --> 00:01:00.380 and to our viewers on YouTube. Yeah, so I actually 00:01:00.380 --> 00:01:03.259 kind of my story begins a little bit when I was 00:01:03.259 --> 00:01:06.760 a kid and then into my teens. I've had a pretty 00:01:07.049 --> 00:01:11.189 Difficult life I've gone through stretches of 00:01:11.189 --> 00:01:13.709 poverty when I was a child family life wasn't 00:01:13.709 --> 00:01:17.049 super great I ended up getting pregnant at 16 00:01:17.049 --> 00:01:21.409 with my son who is now about to be 10 so exciting 00:01:21.409 --> 00:01:27.689 However teen pregnancy is not fun at all It sometimes 00:01:27.689 --> 00:01:31.489 can be glorified in media, and it's a lot harder 00:01:31.489 --> 00:01:35.030 than some people might think When I got pregnant 00:01:35.030 --> 00:01:37.310 with my son, it was definitely a wake -up call. 00:01:38.670 --> 00:01:41.390 I had plans to go to college, obviously, before 00:01:41.390 --> 00:01:43.930 I got pregnant. And that definitely derailed 00:01:43.930 --> 00:01:46.189 some things. I don't regret it at all. I love 00:01:46.189 --> 00:01:51.689 my son. But it changed everything. I knew, obviously, 00:01:51.769 --> 00:01:54.769 when I had my son, I was like, I still want to 00:01:54.769 --> 00:01:57.109 go to school one day. When he gets into school, 00:01:57.250 --> 00:02:00.849 maybe it'll be my time. Unfortunately, it took 00:02:00.849 --> 00:02:03.879 a little bit longer than I wanted. Obviously, 00:02:03.879 --> 00:02:07.299 being a teen mom, going through childhood trauma, 00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:11.180 things like that, I slipped into kind of a depression, 00:02:11.879 --> 00:02:15.460 anxiety. I had a really, really hard time after 00:02:15.460 --> 00:02:18.840 I had my son. I definitely suffered from postpartum 00:02:18.840 --> 00:02:24.159 depression and I really did not see the value 00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:28.539 in myself. And that was hard. It was really hard 00:02:28.539 --> 00:02:31.400 And I've done a lot of work on myself. I've gotten 00:02:31.400 --> 00:02:33.199 into therapy. I've been in therapy for a couple 00:02:33.199 --> 00:02:36.300 years now And going through therapy. I really 00:02:36.300 --> 00:02:40.560 discovered that I am worth putting the time in 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:44.259 I am worth Going to school. I I deserve to be 00:02:44.259 --> 00:02:46.099 able to do what I want to do with my life I deserve 00:02:46.099 --> 00:02:48.419 to be happy. I deserve to love what I'm doing 00:02:48.419 --> 00:02:52.180 And I really realized I need to go back to school. 00:02:52.180 --> 00:02:57.259 I need to get a degree And that's kind of where 00:02:57.259 --> 00:03:01.639 it started. That's how I got to JCCC. And from 00:03:01.639 --> 00:03:05.180 there, you know, a lot of self -reflection and 00:03:05.180 --> 00:03:07.939 going through the trauma and healing myself, 00:03:08.860 --> 00:03:16.740 I realized pretty quickly that I wanted to be 00:03:16.740 --> 00:03:21.039 for other people what I didn't have or what I 00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:25.120 had at certain moments. So I, obviously, when 00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:29.039 I was pregnant with my son, we technically were 00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:32.300 homeless. We lived with my grandparents, my whole 00:03:32.300 --> 00:03:36.080 family. And because we were homeless, we qualified 00:03:36.080 --> 00:03:38.240 for a program in Shawnee Mission School District 00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:43.000 called McKinney Vento. And that program helps 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:45.879 families that are super low poverty or homeless 00:03:45.879 --> 00:03:50.639 with programs. You know, you can do free They 00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:53.539 give you the free packs of food at school. You 00:03:53.539 --> 00:03:55.939 can get school supplies. They help with your 00:03:55.939 --> 00:04:00.680 costs of school. And it really made a huge difference 00:04:00.680 --> 00:04:04.319 for us. And at the time, I didn't realize it. 00:04:04.340 --> 00:04:07.800 Obviously, I was 16, 17, had a brand new baby. 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:11.860 I'm not paying attention to any of that. And 00:04:11.860 --> 00:04:15.740 McKinney Vento, the social workers, are who helped 00:04:15.740 --> 00:04:20.649 us get into that program. Also got us signed 00:04:20.649 --> 00:04:23.790 up for a program around Christmas time for like 00:04:23.790 --> 00:04:26.250 where you can get adopted like for gifts and 00:04:26.250 --> 00:04:32.009 stuff. Yeah and That was just an insane experience 00:04:32.009 --> 00:04:35.029 We might like it really helped my mom get like 00:04:35.029 --> 00:04:38.149 me and my siblings stuff But they also like my 00:04:38.149 --> 00:04:40.410 son was on there too like they listed my son 00:04:40.410 --> 00:04:44.160 so I got like five cases of diapers which If 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:46.680 you know, you know. You know, you know. Yeah. 00:04:47.879 --> 00:04:52.779 And so it was incredible. And yeah, it really 00:04:52.779 --> 00:04:54.899 was. And now that I look back at it, I'm like, 00:04:55.100 --> 00:05:00.480 wow, that's insane. And also, I didn't think 00:05:00.480 --> 00:05:03.819 about this for a long time. But being in school, 00:05:04.139 --> 00:05:06.759 I've realized social work is the path I do want 00:05:06.759 --> 00:05:12.779 to go down. It wasn't always that way. I realized, 00:05:12.779 --> 00:05:16.199 you know, when I was a teen mom, I also got involved 00:05:16.199 --> 00:05:19.120 in programs through Johnson County with social 00:05:19.120 --> 00:05:23.660 workers. They have a teen mom program. And it's 00:05:23.660 --> 00:05:26.800 pretty amazing for young moms. You can get in 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:29.560 there and they do like meetings once a month. 00:05:29.899 --> 00:05:33.740 You earn points for like doing stuff. Like if 00:05:33.740 --> 00:05:35.540 you're pregnant, if you just read to your baby, 00:05:35.660 --> 00:05:38.060 like you set goals, you read to your belly, you 00:05:38.060 --> 00:05:39.720 set goals, and when you meet those goals, you 00:05:39.720 --> 00:05:41.959 earn points, and you can actually exchange those 00:05:41.959 --> 00:05:45.339 points for baby items. Wow, that's amazing. Yeah, 00:05:45.579 --> 00:05:49.220 I got my son's stroller, I got his high chair, 00:05:49.360 --> 00:05:53.180 I got his pack and play, I got a crib, all of 00:05:53.180 --> 00:05:55.939 it with points. That's amazing. Are those programs 00:05:55.939 --> 00:05:58.980 still running now? I believe they are. So our 00:05:58.980 --> 00:06:00.759 listeners and our viewers could Google that? 00:06:01.480 --> 00:06:04.180 Yeah, I think it's called case management. And 00:06:04.180 --> 00:06:07.720 you get linked with a case management worker. 00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:11.959 And they do home visits. They meet with you, 00:06:11.959 --> 00:06:15.040 I think, once every couple of weeks. They go 00:06:15.040 --> 00:06:16.920 over your goals. They talk about what you want 00:06:16.920 --> 00:06:20.360 to do. You can do classes. And then the monthly 00:06:20.360 --> 00:06:24.019 group is honestly, it was a lifesaver back then. 00:06:25.239 --> 00:06:28.459 especially in the throes of, you know, postpartum 00:06:28.459 --> 00:06:31.899 depression. I remember that very well, yes. Yeah, 00:06:32.040 --> 00:06:34.540 yeah. And like getting out of the house, getting 00:06:34.540 --> 00:06:37.160 with people that are similar to you, young moms. 00:06:37.339 --> 00:06:39.839 I mean, I'm still friends with multiple women 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:44.480 from that group. So it really is. It really is. 00:06:46.040 --> 00:06:48.180 You somewhat mentioned this, but I would like 00:06:48.180 --> 00:06:50.399 you to extrapolate on it if that's okay. Yeah. 00:06:50.399 --> 00:06:52.259 Speak a little to our listeners and our viewers 00:06:52.259 --> 00:06:55.480 about the importance of strong community, a strong 00:06:55.480 --> 00:07:00.000 circle of people around you. Yeah. So my mom 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:03.879 and my family are so incredibly important to 00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:07.160 me. I did mention that I have some childhood 00:07:07.160 --> 00:07:09.339 trauma. So my mom and I have not always been 00:07:09.339 --> 00:07:11.660 the closest. Through therapy, I've done a lot 00:07:11.660 --> 00:07:15.420 of work. Our relationship today is so different. 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:18.639 She's basically a best friend of mine. We still 00:07:18.639 --> 00:07:25.420 have our moments, but she really was there for 00:07:25.420 --> 00:07:29.759 me in ways that I can't even express. As far 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:32.319 as community goes, it's incredibly important. 00:07:33.259 --> 00:07:36.699 If you don't have a community, you really feel 00:07:36.699 --> 00:07:41.519 alone and that isolation creeps in. the perfect 00:07:41.519 --> 00:07:44.800 storm for slipping into depression, anxiety, 00:07:45.420 --> 00:07:47.279 and then you kind of just start digging a hole, 00:07:47.399 --> 00:07:49.199 and it just gets deeper and deeper and deeper, 00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:51.839 and it's harder to pull yourself out. It's a 00:07:51.839 --> 00:07:54.220 paralyzing sort of thing. It just completely 00:07:54.220 --> 00:07:57.079 grips you and removes you from the life that, 00:07:57.079 --> 00:07:59.240 like you said, you deserve to live. Yeah, it 00:07:59.240 --> 00:08:01.959 really does, and that's a big part of where I 00:08:01.959 --> 00:08:04.160 struggled, was for the longest time I held myself 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:09.550 back because I did not see the point in... putting 00:08:09.550 --> 00:08:11.529 in that effort and pulling myself out of that 00:08:11.529 --> 00:08:14.920 place. So thank you for sharing that very intimate, 00:08:15.120 --> 00:08:17.699 very private, very personal story. I know that 00:08:17.699 --> 00:08:19.519 that will resonate with our listeners and our 00:08:19.519 --> 00:08:21.860 viewers. You never know when you do a show like 00:08:21.860 --> 00:08:23.800 this, you know, the outreach that you have and 00:08:23.800 --> 00:08:25.600 the people in the hearts that you'll touch. So 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:28.800 I really appreciate you being so open, both with 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:31.379 me and with our friends that are listening and 00:08:31.379 --> 00:08:34.620 watching right now. If any of our listeners or 00:08:34.620 --> 00:08:37.860 any of our viewers out on YouTube might be facing 00:08:37.860 --> 00:08:40.059 challenges that are similar to yours, you did 00:08:40.059 --> 00:08:43.850 speak about case manage. Can you again say the 00:08:43.850 --> 00:08:46.330 names of those resources so that our listeners 00:08:46.330 --> 00:08:48.149 and our viewers can Google those and take a look? 00:08:48.450 --> 00:08:51.250 Yeah, yeah, there's a bunch of different resources 00:08:51.250 --> 00:08:53.950 in Johnson County, specifically for one, mental 00:08:53.950 --> 00:08:58.350 health, and two, single moms, young moms. Johnson 00:08:58.350 --> 00:09:00.769 County has a case management program for young 00:09:00.769 --> 00:09:03.450 moms, which is amazing. Johnson County mental 00:09:03.450 --> 00:09:12.570 health also is a really great... is a really 00:09:12.570 --> 00:09:16.090 great resource for anybody that is struggling 00:09:16.090 --> 00:09:19.409 with mental health. Single Moms KC is another 00:09:19.409 --> 00:09:23.190 group in the Kansas City metro area that is great 00:09:23.190 --> 00:09:26.610 for young moms. And I would just say the biggest 00:09:26.610 --> 00:09:30.350 thing is reach out to a friend, even if you're 00:09:30.350 --> 00:09:32.629 not comfortable with going through a resource, 00:09:32.750 --> 00:09:36.350 even if you're not comfortable going to a therapist. 00:09:36.789 --> 00:09:41.159 Talk to people. Don't hold it in. The worst thing 00:09:41.159 --> 00:09:43.799 you can do for yourself is let it fester. Absolutely. 00:09:44.019 --> 00:09:46.919 Isolate yourself and run away. Absolutely. So 00:09:46.919 --> 00:09:49.799 to piggyback on what you were saying, not only 00:09:49.799 --> 00:09:52.120 don't be afraid to reach out a hand and ask for 00:09:52.120 --> 00:09:54.679 help, but don't be afraid to look online. Avail 00:09:54.679 --> 00:09:56.799 yourself of the resources that are available 00:09:56.799 --> 00:10:01.279 to you. It's a simple search, jccc .edu. All 00:10:01.279 --> 00:10:03.360 of the resources that are available on campus, 00:10:03.539 --> 00:10:06.759 including some that Jordan mentioned, are listed 00:10:06.759 --> 00:10:08.679 there. And I do want to second what you said 00:10:08.679 --> 00:10:10.799 about Johnson County mental health. Health. I 00:10:10.799 --> 00:10:14.139 believe it is six free sessions. Double check 00:10:14.139 --> 00:10:16.639 me on that, folks, as you're looking on the internet, 00:10:17.360 --> 00:10:20.200 that students get here on campus with the Counseling 00:10:20.200 --> 00:10:23.480 Center or via Zoom with Johnson County Mental 00:10:23.480 --> 00:10:25.480 Health, just as part of you being a student here. 00:10:25.500 --> 00:10:27.440 You don't have to be a full -time student. You 00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:29.919 can take one class and avail yourself of that 00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:32.840 service. So if you are in need of assistance, 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:35.220 please, please, please reach out a hand to a 00:10:35.220 --> 00:10:38.860 friend through the internet. Exactly. Absolutely. 00:10:39.879 --> 00:10:44.039 So when are you graduating? Yes, so I'm set to 00:10:44.039 --> 00:10:49.340 graduate from JCCC in May. Yes, I'm very very 00:10:49.340 --> 00:10:52.799 excited. I'm set to graduate in May and then 00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:55.659 I will be pursuing my bachelor's in social work. 00:10:56.019 --> 00:11:00.789 Nice, very exciting. You shared with me in our 00:11:00.789 --> 00:11:03.009 pre -interview that social work was not always 00:11:03.009 --> 00:11:06.549 your first, your first foot in the door. Tell 00:11:06.549 --> 00:11:09.110 us that story. And we know how you came to social 00:11:09.110 --> 00:11:11.870 work, but what were you interested in previously? 00:11:12.110 --> 00:11:15.129 So originally when I first started, I was interested 00:11:15.129 --> 00:11:17.870 in counseling. I figured I would get my gen eds 00:11:17.870 --> 00:11:21.529 here at JCCC and then transfer and pursue my 00:11:21.529 --> 00:11:25.289 bachelor's and master's in counseling. Throughout 00:11:25.289 --> 00:11:31.549 my experience at JCCC, Mostly took online classes 00:11:31.549 --> 00:11:34.309 Pretty much every single class has been online. 00:11:34.309 --> 00:11:37.710 I am in my very first in -person class this semester 00:11:37.710 --> 00:11:41.090 Which we'll get to that but it was very nerve 00:11:41.090 --> 00:11:46.029 -wrecking at first but yeah, so I started at 00:11:46.029 --> 00:11:50.570 JCCC and I Loved the sociology classes. I've 00:11:50.570 --> 00:11:53.379 taken I think I've taken every single sociology 00:11:53.379 --> 00:11:56.659 class that you can at JCCC. I think I have one 00:11:56.659 --> 00:12:00.100 left and I'm taking it next semester. So, yeah, 00:12:00.259 --> 00:12:03.240 so I have absolutely loved taking the sociology 00:12:03.240 --> 00:12:06.799 courses. I'm also, I also am a really big fan 00:12:06.799 --> 00:12:10.299 of the political science courses. And there's 00:12:10.299 --> 00:12:14.019 a lot going on, obviously, but I really realized, 00:12:14.019 --> 00:12:16.120 you know, with sociology and political science, 00:12:16.580 --> 00:12:18.639 there's a lot you can do in the political world 00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:22.090 in government with Social work as well. There's 00:12:22.090 --> 00:12:23.970 a lot going on right now where social workers 00:12:23.970 --> 00:12:29.429 are desperately needed in everywhere But I also 00:12:29.429 --> 00:12:33.850 really enjoy working with kids so a big big goal 00:12:33.850 --> 00:12:36.230 of mine is to eventually be a social worker in 00:12:36.230 --> 00:12:39.509 a school and a big reason for that is because 00:12:39.509 --> 00:12:42.149 Throughout going to JCCC and throughout taking 00:12:42.149 --> 00:12:45.070 those sociology classes is when I kind of realized 00:12:45.070 --> 00:12:48.220 and it clicked for me that social workers are 00:12:48.220 --> 00:12:51.500 why I am where I am today. With everything I've 00:12:51.500 --> 00:12:53.500 been through in my life, there's so many times 00:12:53.500 --> 00:12:56.639 that I could have gone down a pretty bad path. 00:12:57.299 --> 00:13:01.320 There's multiple times where, you know, one wrong 00:13:01.320 --> 00:13:03.779 turn and who knows if I would be here today. 00:13:04.620 --> 00:13:07.700 But like I said before, social workers helped 00:13:07.700 --> 00:13:10.799 us get into that McKinney -Vento program. Yeah, 00:13:11.139 --> 00:13:12.799 social workers helped me when I was pregnant 00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:16.730 with my son. Because of them because of those 00:13:16.730 --> 00:13:19.590 little moments throughout all of the big things 00:13:19.590 --> 00:13:22.509 That's why I'm here They had it was just little 00:13:22.509 --> 00:13:25.409 things here and there that kept me on a path 00:13:25.409 --> 00:13:28.799 to being who I am And I really want to be that 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:30.820 for somebody else. I was gonna say that yeah 00:13:30.820 --> 00:13:34.100 actually wrote that Her exact phrase was that's 00:13:34.100 --> 00:13:36.460 what I want to be for other people and that's 00:13:36.460 --> 00:13:39.720 incredible Yeah, again. Thank you for your vulnerability 00:13:39.720 --> 00:13:42.200 and your candor and sharing that with us. Yeah 00:13:42.200 --> 00:13:48.240 Let's pivot and talk about some fun. Okay Yes, 00:13:49.759 --> 00:13:53.039 yes, so I have a really really close friend group 00:13:53.039 --> 00:13:55.720 I met them through when I was doing some work 00:13:55.720 --> 00:13:59.519 at a daycare And they are some of the best people 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:02.600 I've ever met in my entire life. I love them 00:14:02.600 --> 00:14:05.779 dearly. Some of them are moms, some of them are 00:14:05.779 --> 00:14:09.639 not. Some of them are in their late 30s. I'm 00:14:09.639 --> 00:14:11.779 obviously only 27, and some of them are even 00:14:11.779 --> 00:14:15.440 younger than me. But they are amazing, and they 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:19.740 are a huge part of my community. I love them. 00:14:19.740 --> 00:14:22.200 I know I can rely on them. They can rely on me 00:14:22.200 --> 00:14:26.500 and yes, we have a book club we We do a monthly 00:14:26.500 --> 00:14:30.679 book club together and it's kind of our way of 00:14:30.679 --> 00:14:33.559 pouring into ourselves really investing into 00:14:33.559 --> 00:14:36.980 ourselves in a small way just you know planning 00:14:36.980 --> 00:14:40.980 of get together once a month so that we are accountable 00:14:40.980 --> 00:14:44.519 for Giving ourselves time watering ourselves 00:14:44.519 --> 00:14:49.019 like we're a plant It's like your your you have 00:14:49.019 --> 00:14:52.899 to spend some time and give yourself time to 00:14:52.899 --> 00:14:57.139 recharge and enjoy life as a person, other than 00:14:57.139 --> 00:14:59.559 just everything you're doing. If not, you're 00:14:59.559 --> 00:15:03.220 gonna end up running yourself empty and yeah, 00:15:03.460 --> 00:15:05.710 that's how you... end up slipping into those 00:15:05.710 --> 00:15:07.529 mental health issues that we talked about. Yeah. 00:15:07.610 --> 00:15:09.710 The phrase that, and I wrote this down as well, 00:15:09.929 --> 00:15:12.809 your exact phrase was, I have a conscious effort 00:15:12.809 --> 00:15:16.750 about putting time into myself. Yeah. And that, 00:15:16.809 --> 00:15:19.190 like you said, is so important. Yeah. It's so 00:15:19.190 --> 00:15:21.610 important. And again, I speak to the resources 00:15:21.610 --> 00:15:23.710 available through the college and, as you mentioned, 00:15:23.870 --> 00:15:26.409 through the community as well. Many, many ways 00:15:26.409 --> 00:15:30.049 to pour that love into yourself. And you are 00:15:30.049 --> 00:15:32.929 so worth it. You are worth it. 100%. I am worth 00:15:32.929 --> 00:15:36.500 it. We are all worth it. um lucky us to be here 00:15:36.500 --> 00:15:39.059 in this environment with so much support so many 00:15:39.059 --> 00:15:41.399 wonderful people around us to study with to learn 00:15:41.399 --> 00:15:44.460 with to learn from um and last week's podcast 00:15:44.460 --> 00:15:47.399 episode i said we were speaking of a very similar 00:15:47.399 --> 00:15:49.899 topic about diversity on campus and the differences 00:15:49.899 --> 00:15:52.480 amongst all of us not only as students but in 00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:54.820 the faculty as well yeah we're stronger because 00:15:54.820 --> 00:15:57.240 of each other and we're stronger for each other 00:15:57.240 --> 00:15:59.440 with each new person that you meet with each 00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:01.460 new experience that you learn about which is 00:16:01.460 --> 00:16:04.159 why we do student stories to begin with Right? 00:16:04.480 --> 00:16:07.279 So thank you for helping us kind of take that 00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:11.279 full circle. On the topic of fun questions, what 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:13.100 are you listening to? What's on your Spotify 00:16:13.100 --> 00:16:16.500 playlist? Do you have a favorite artist? Yeah. 00:16:16.940 --> 00:16:20.620 So my Spotify, my music taste is all over the 00:16:20.620 --> 00:16:24.519 place. Me too. Isn't that great? Yeah. So one 00:16:24.519 --> 00:16:27.100 of my top artists is gonna be Ariana Grande. 00:16:28.100 --> 00:16:31.100 I also, yes she can. I'm very excited for Wicked. 00:16:31.759 --> 00:16:33.679 I'm very excited for the new one. Did you see 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:35.679 the first one? Yes, oh yes. Oh my gosh, I cried. 00:16:35.799 --> 00:16:37.539 It was so good. I saw the first one probably 00:16:37.539 --> 00:16:40.159 like 10 times. Oh my gosh. In theaters. Beautiful, 00:16:40.159 --> 00:16:42.860 beautiful movie. Yeah, so Ariana Grande is probably 00:16:42.860 --> 00:16:46.779 one of my top. And a big pivot, but Tyler the 00:16:46.779 --> 00:16:49.720 Creator is another. really big one on my list, 00:16:49.919 --> 00:16:51.960 and Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick Lamar. Yes, I've 00:16:51.960 --> 00:16:54.299 seen all three of them in concert. Fantastic. 00:16:54.659 --> 00:16:57.200 Yeah, I've seen Ariana, I saw Kendrick and SZA, 00:16:57.320 --> 00:17:01.299 and I saw Tyler when he was here this year. My 00:17:01.299 --> 00:17:04.599 next goal is to see Ariana next year. But we'll 00:17:04.599 --> 00:17:07.339 see if that happens. Is she touring next year? 00:17:07.339 --> 00:17:09.880 Yes, she is. Is she coming here? She's not coming 00:17:09.880 --> 00:17:12.180 here. The closest one to us, I think, is Chicago. 00:17:12.500 --> 00:17:14.880 OK. That's not too bad. It's not too bad. But 00:17:14.880 --> 00:17:17.259 the tickets sold out instantly. And right now, 00:17:17.319 --> 00:17:19.720 the resale tickets for Nosebleeds is like $700, 00:17:19.759 --> 00:17:24.160 $800. That is insane. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Oh my 00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:27.339 gosh. And if you guys know, Ticketmaster is but. 00:17:28.059 --> 00:17:30.319 Yeah. I mean, you have to be so careful. Yeah, 00:17:30.319 --> 00:17:33.640 it is insane. My daughter went to New York City 00:17:33.640 --> 00:17:36.460 earlier this year and went to see actually Hamilton 00:17:36.460 --> 00:17:39.740 on Broadway and the tickets there in New York 00:17:39.740 --> 00:17:43.099 were cheaper than it is for Hamilton's travel. 00:17:43.099 --> 00:17:45.720 I bet that's coming here, which is just saying 00:17:45.720 --> 00:17:52.009 I bet Let's see so I teased in our pre -interview 00:17:52.009 --> 00:17:56.069 that there might be a fun question or two. I'd 00:17:56.069 --> 00:17:59.170 love to ask our guest this question. Assuming 00:17:59.170 --> 00:18:02.529 that you had unlimited money, unlimited time, 00:18:02.769 --> 00:18:05.230 no commitments, no responsibilities, no bills, 00:18:05.829 --> 00:18:08.369 tell us how you would spend eight gajillion dollars 00:18:08.369 --> 00:18:13.539 and what would you do? Hmm some practical things 00:18:13.539 --> 00:18:20.180 Yeah, I would buy a house Yeah, Johnson County 00:18:20.180 --> 00:18:24.539 is pretty high Yeah, I would be buying a house. 00:18:24.619 --> 00:18:27.000 I would be probably buying a second car right 00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:29.200 now. We're a one -car house, which can be a little 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:32.880 difficult And then I would probably set aside 00:18:32.880 --> 00:18:38.900 college fund for my son. Yeah and honestly 401k 00:18:38.900 --> 00:18:41.599 those are my those are my like top four and then 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:44.380 maybe some fun things some fun money Yeah, target 00:18:44.380 --> 00:18:47.900 trip to do something target. Yeah Like you know, 00:18:47.960 --> 00:18:51.180 yeah Maybe maybe we go traveling maybe I can 00:18:51.180 --> 00:18:55.200 help my son get some world travels What does 00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:57.000 he think about you being a student here does 00:18:57.000 --> 00:19:00.559 he ever say mom that's so cool or mom? Yeah Yeah, 00:19:00.599 --> 00:19:03.740 he so in the beginning. It was a definitely a 00:19:03.740 --> 00:19:06.519 big shift So when I first started, I was still 00:19:06.519 --> 00:19:10.339 working at the daycare. So I still have a full 00:19:10.339 --> 00:19:12.539 -time job, but now I do work from home, which 00:19:12.539 --> 00:19:16.440 is a little bit easier on me. But yeah, I do, 00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:20.900 I work 40 hours a week and doing full -time school. 00:19:21.119 --> 00:19:23.700 So usually my weekends are taken up with doing 00:19:23.700 --> 00:19:26.980 my schoolwork. Yeah. So in the beginning, it 00:19:26.980 --> 00:19:31.079 was definitely a change and it took some time 00:19:31.079 --> 00:19:34.799 getting used to. He struggled a little bit because 00:19:34.799 --> 00:19:37.759 he wasn't able to get all of my time in the evenings. 00:19:38.240 --> 00:19:41.440 Which he was used to, I'm sure. Yeah, yeah. And 00:19:41.440 --> 00:19:44.220 so it was a struggle at first. He kind of was 00:19:44.220 --> 00:19:46.740 like, why do you have to do school? Like, why 00:19:46.740 --> 00:19:50.779 are you in school? And I explained it to him. 00:19:50.920 --> 00:19:53.619 I said, you know, I'm doing this because I want 00:19:53.619 --> 00:19:56.720 to put us in a situation where in the future, 00:19:57.500 --> 00:19:59.789 you don't have to worry about college. You don't 00:19:59.789 --> 00:20:01.369 have to worry about taking out student loans. 00:20:01.470 --> 00:20:03.910 You don't have to worry about if you're going 00:20:03.910 --> 00:20:07.210 to qualify for student aid. I want you to be 00:20:07.210 --> 00:20:09.829 able to live a life that I didn't get to live. 00:20:10.250 --> 00:20:14.309 I want you to be able to live and have a childhood 00:20:14.309 --> 00:20:18.630 and not have to grow up at eight, nine, like 00:20:18.630 --> 00:20:22.589 I did. And really just explaining to him, you 00:20:22.589 --> 00:20:24.230 know, I want to give you a life I didn't have 00:20:24.230 --> 00:20:27.910 and I don't have I I have to You know work every 00:20:27.910 --> 00:20:31.670 single day. I have to I had to struggle a lot 00:20:31.670 --> 00:20:35.569 when he was younger I mean, especially his first 00:20:35.569 --> 00:20:39.009 four or five years there's a lot of time that 00:20:39.009 --> 00:20:41.730 I have blacked out because of Depression because 00:20:41.730 --> 00:20:44.049 of anxiety because I was in fight -or -flight 00:20:44.049 --> 00:20:47.609 mode. Sure. I mean really yeah, I was in survival 00:20:47.609 --> 00:20:51.609 mode and so there's a Large chunk of time that 00:20:51.609 --> 00:20:54.849 I don't have memories I mean I can look at photos 00:20:54.849 --> 00:20:58.009 and I can remember that time of that photo but 00:20:58.009 --> 00:21:01.250 outside of that there's not a whole lot and I 00:21:01.250 --> 00:21:03.329 struggle with that and I really struggled with 00:21:03.329 --> 00:21:05.490 it in the beginning of school because He was 00:21:05.490 --> 00:21:08.589 having a little bit of a hard time but Explaining 00:21:08.589 --> 00:21:12.549 to him why I'm doing it He really came around 00:21:12.549 --> 00:21:15.849 and he's like I know why you're doing it. I'm 00:21:15.900 --> 00:21:18.180 Proud of you mommy and like there were certain 00:21:18.180 --> 00:21:21.980 things that he would say. Yeah, I Mean I cried 00:21:21.980 --> 00:21:24.400 the first time he said it the first time he said 00:21:24.400 --> 00:21:28.779 that I cried But my husband really made a huge 00:21:28.779 --> 00:21:31.920 difference I mean he really steps up and helps 00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:34.920 where I need him and Kudos to him too because 00:21:34.920 --> 00:21:39.480 he works 60 hours a week now Yeah, so it's insane 00:21:39.480 --> 00:21:42.789 that The partner I have is the reason I'm able 00:21:42.789 --> 00:21:45.269 to do this. The fact that I'm able to do online 00:21:45.269 --> 00:21:47.549 classes is the reason I'm able to do this. I 00:21:47.549 --> 00:21:50.369 mean, there's no way it would have worked if 00:21:50.369 --> 00:21:54.009 JCCC didn't offer online classes, if I didn't 00:21:54.009 --> 00:21:55.970 have a support system, if I didn't have a sense 00:21:55.970 --> 00:21:58.049 of community. I mean, if my husband can't do 00:21:58.049 --> 00:22:00.049 it, my mom steps in. If my husband or my mom 00:22:00.049 --> 00:22:02.369 can't do it, my friend group steps in. I mean, 00:22:02.369 --> 00:22:05.730 it's not an individual thing. I couldn't do this 00:22:05.730 --> 00:22:09.089 on my own. And I think that's why we do student 00:22:09.089 --> 00:22:12.349 stories. is to help be that community for other 00:22:12.349 --> 00:22:15.509 people. Which leads me to another question that 00:22:15.509 --> 00:22:17.809 I would like to ask you. If there are other single 00:22:17.809 --> 00:22:20.130 moms, if there are other folks that have been 00:22:20.130 --> 00:22:21.990 homeless or have gone through similar challenges, 00:22:22.170 --> 00:22:24.230 what advice would you give them? Were they to 00:22:24.230 --> 00:22:26.910 say to you, I couldn't do that, not in a million 00:22:26.910 --> 00:22:29.029 years. What would you say to those folks? Yeah, 00:22:29.410 --> 00:22:31.630 so the biggest thing I would say is you're not 00:22:31.630 --> 00:22:35.980 alone. There are so many people who have been 00:22:35.980 --> 00:22:38.400 in your shoes or are currently in your shoes. 00:22:39.819 --> 00:22:45.599 Homelessness especially is not non -existent. 00:22:45.799 --> 00:22:48.000 I mean, here in Johnson County, there's homelessness, 00:22:48.160 --> 00:22:51.259 there's poverty. Kansas City, Missouri, there's 00:22:51.259 --> 00:22:54.660 homelessness, there's poverty. Don't ever think 00:22:54.660 --> 00:22:56.240 like you're dealing with this by yourself and 00:22:56.240 --> 00:22:58.660 you're the only one going through it. There are 00:22:58.660 --> 00:23:01.480 resources. Reach out to somebody. If you can't 00:23:01.480 --> 00:23:03.940 get yourself to do it, find somebody that you 00:23:03.940 --> 00:23:07.079 trust. Find someone to hold your hand and help 00:23:07.079 --> 00:23:10.099 and walk you through what you need to do. And 00:23:10.099 --> 00:23:13.299 just don't give up because you are 100 % worth 00:23:13.299 --> 00:23:17.059 the effort. You're worth putting work into yourself. 00:23:18.170 --> 00:23:20.609 A lot of the times your mindset is going to make 00:23:20.609 --> 00:23:23.369 a huge difference as well. Absolutely. You have 00:23:23.369 --> 00:23:26.069 to wake up and you have to choose yourself. You 00:23:26.069 --> 00:23:27.990 have to choose to want to be better. You have 00:23:27.990 --> 00:23:30.130 to choose to make a difference. If you want to 00:23:30.130 --> 00:23:31.329 make a difference for yourself or if you want 00:23:31.329 --> 00:23:33.569 to make a difference in the world or your community, 00:23:34.289 --> 00:23:36.490 you have to make that choice. Nobody can make 00:23:36.490 --> 00:23:38.720 it for you. And that's a very hard choice to 00:23:38.720 --> 00:23:41.059 make when all you've done is survive. Exactly. 00:23:41.319 --> 00:23:42.839 Survive. Take care of other people. Take care 00:23:42.839 --> 00:23:45.559 of myself. Get through this moment. That's a 00:23:45.559 --> 00:23:48.099 very difficult transition to make between survival 00:23:48.099 --> 00:23:51.099 and thriving. It really is difficult. It really 00:23:51.099 --> 00:23:53.339 is. But it's not impossible in your living proof 00:23:53.339 --> 00:23:55.960 of that. And so again, I appreciate your vulnerability, 00:23:56.440 --> 00:23:58.940 your kindness in being with us today. Thank you. 00:23:59.019 --> 00:24:00.960 You're sharing your story with us. Do you have 00:24:00.960 --> 00:24:03.819 any parting words for our friends as we bid them 00:24:03.819 --> 00:24:06.359 farewell? Yeah. I mean, I think the biggest thing 00:24:07.029 --> 00:24:10.589 I mean, I'm super big on mental health. I'm super 00:24:10.589 --> 00:24:14.309 big on therapy. It's so worth it. So many people, 00:24:14.309 --> 00:24:17.509 there's a taboo or a stigma. Don't listen to 00:24:17.509 --> 00:24:21.750 it. Don't listen to it because it is life -changing. 00:24:22.150 --> 00:24:26.369 It's ultimately life -changing. And if you want 00:24:26.369 --> 00:24:30.109 to do it, do it. I mean, all it takes is one 00:24:30.109 --> 00:24:31.970 time. All it takes is one time of putting that 00:24:31.970 --> 00:24:34.269 effort and putting that love into yourself, and 00:24:34.269 --> 00:24:37.339 you feel a difference. And then every day, every 00:24:37.339 --> 00:24:39.420 day, just do a little bit at a time. It gets 00:24:39.420 --> 00:24:41.539 easier and easier the more you do it. Yeah, absolutely. 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:44.279 And again, the information and the help is one 00:24:44.279 --> 00:24:47.259 click away. JCCC .edu. Please navigate through 00:24:47.259 --> 00:24:49.720 our web page to learn more about Johnson County 00:24:49.720 --> 00:24:52.440 Mental Health and the other services that are 00:24:52.440 --> 00:24:57.559 available to you. Oh, oh. Good to know. Good 00:24:57.559 --> 00:25:02.309 to know. So, as we close today's episode, I wanted 00:25:02.309 --> 00:25:04.890 to again thank you for sharing that story with 00:25:04.890 --> 00:25:07.630 us and reiterate what you said. You are absolutely 00:25:07.630 --> 00:25:10.029 worth it. You are absolutely worth that first 00:25:10.029 --> 00:25:12.529 phone call. You are absolutely worth that first 00:25:12.529 --> 00:25:16.920 click, right? Yeah. please visit jccc .edu to 00:25:16.920 --> 00:25:18.720 read more about Johnson County Mental Health 00:25:18.720 --> 00:25:21.440 and the services that they provide free of charge 00:25:21.440 --> 00:25:25.240 to any student here on campus. Please also utilize 00:25:25.240 --> 00:25:28.259 Google and other search features to learn more 00:25:28.259 --> 00:25:30.900 about services that are available within the 00:25:30.900 --> 00:25:32.819 Kansas City community, both on the Johnson County 00:25:32.819 --> 00:25:36.759 side and on the Missouri side. Thank you again. 00:25:36.940 --> 00:25:39.740 I'm so glad I met you. What a joy it's been to 00:25:39.740 --> 00:25:43.240 get to know and to befriend. Thank you. Everyone, 00:25:43.359 --> 00:25:45.859 thank you so much for tuning in today to our 00:25:45.859 --> 00:25:49.180 second Student Stories segment of The Messenger 00:25:49.180 --> 00:25:51.799 Mic'd Up. We're coming to you every Wednesday 00:25:51.799 --> 00:25:55.440 in the 25, 26th school year and we're thrilled 00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:59.579 to have you along with us. Yeah, be good to yourselves, 00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:03.609 be kind to yourselves. Yes. and we bid you farewell. 00:26:04.029 --> 00:26:05.829 Everyone take care. Bye. Bye.