Changing Lives

Elaine’s husband delivered an emotional bombshell 18 months ago: he was leaving her. While he was both willing and obligated to provide child support, his financial commitment to her would end as soon as he could make it happen. After a 20-year hiatus from the insurance industry, she has to return to work. She has stabilized herself emotionally and is ready to prepare for her first job back. To begin, she is asking these big questions:

How can I support myself and eventually maximize my income with the skills I have?
What do I WANT to do…eventually?
What do I HAVE to do … now?

When Greta’s* mother became terminally ill, she quit her job and became the primary caregiver. She was ready to change jobs anyway, and she knew that time with her mother was limited. Now she’s on her own again, her savings are almost gone, and it’s time for Greta to move into her next life. She has fears around her ability to confidently re-enter the workplace after 3 years of unpaid service, especially not knowing exactly what she wants:

How can I combine my new talents & interests with my previous skills to find meaningful work?
How can I find work I enjoy and still?
How do I work out a map and stay focused as I move ahead?

* a composite of stories told by women helping to develop this program.

As a single parent and mature student, I have often wondered if others thought that I was wasting my time and resources on a venture meant for younger women – women who had not made the mistake of marrying and having children with the wrong person. Winning your award has put that thought to bed for me.

I went to school because I love learning, because I have a dream to become a doctor, and because I wanted my children to know that making mistakes doesn’t mean having to spend the rest of your life hiding and feeling ashamed. We all have a right to pursue our best selves, and I thank the Minerva Foundation with all my heart for acknowledging the journey I have made thus far, and for providing other women like me the opportunity to pursue their dreams. The acknowledgement your organization has bestowed upon me has lit my insides with a quiet pride that I have not felt in a very long time.

Chandra Lebovitz, 2009 Harrison/Buitenhuis award recipient