I was spending so much of my time updating resumes, writing cover letters, and basically begging companies to validate my worth. “Hi, yes, hello, please hire me. I have 6 years of higher education and 50,000 dollars in student loan debt. Thanks.” That sort of desperation followed by rejection after rejection can be so demoralizing.  

I found myself feeling a bit aimless. I mean, I had the identity of a “hardworking student” for 20 years of my life, and then just one day, POOF! That identity was ripped away faster than my student email access. 

As much as I was happy to be done with school, I missed the environment. I missed learning something new every day. I missed teaching. I missed those deep conversations with people from all walks of life. 

Then it dawned on me that I didn’t need to pay my weight in gold to be a part of something like that again. I had the freedom I never had before to create something that I could be proud of. I had the education, the discipline, and the passion to make it happen – and that’s when Cultivate Belonging was created.

Cultivate Belonging is all about being our genuine self. It’s about embracing those individual differences that make us unique and celebrating those similarities that tie us together as human beings. It’s about change and transitions in life that might seem scary but tackling those obstacles with courage. Cultivate Belonging is about being vulnerable. It’s about being creative. It’s about being silly. It’s about being human!

I am so excited to see where this journey takes me. I am grateful for all my friends and family who have supported me through college, unemployment, and just life. I wouldn’t feel confident pursuing this project (even though I’m still really nervous) if I didn’t have this support telling me it would all be okay. So to all of you –