Date of Award

2024

Abstract

The past few years have seen me broken and rebuilt.

These years nudged, then prodded and finally ripped away my sense of control until I didn’t have a choice but to let go. Fear and learned behavior had kept me in place but Faith gently guided and reminded me to trust what I could not see.

The first year of this program saw a lot of listening and nodding but I found it frustratingly difficult to integrate the lessons into my life. The second year was filled with devastating personal losses - my partner left me, I was declined a job opportunity after 6 interviews, my Dad passed, and I moved back to the hustle of the Bay Area from my mountain cabin. The world opened up and made demands of where I physically needed to be.

I fought it all. My physical body was inflamed by the negative, shameful, defensive energy I carried and masked with a smile. My leadership as a mother and manager, friend, role model and sister reflected and declined during this time.

The third year started on the floor of my bedroom curled in a ball crying and writing in my journal. Thankfully rereading those words I saw an openness to surrender. The following project is an outline of how I have been able to integrate my learnings from the MLS experience into my personal and professional work in a way that holds accountability to myself and community. The work acknowledges lineage and privilege, and challenges my edges. Including, but not limited to, allowing vulnerability by asking for help, managing fear, building self-worth and Faith.

Please note the work has been transformative and the path ahead feels endless, this is the beginning - a snapshot of the place I orient myself today and the methods and processes that have brought me here.

Program Director

Heather Talley

Professional Affiliate Coach

Ramsey Champagne, LMHC, M.Ed.

Professional Affiliate Anchor Coach

Ramsey Champagne, LMHC, M.Ed., Coach

Document Type

Project

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