Like many beginnings at StepUp Wilmington, April’s was a precarious one back in June 2017. After having recently lost her job and dozens of interviews gone unanswered, April felt that she hit rock bottom. A childhood of hearing “you’re never going to be successful” and “you’re not good enough” led to a belief system that was proving those statements true.
Jobs Week’s core affirmation: “I am a valuable person of great worth” barely made a dent. April said, “I could hardly comprehend it, my self-esteem was shot.” Then came mock interviews. “I finally had a place that was safe where I could practice, get feedback and not freak out.”
A few days later, April got a job. At $9/hour, she was grateful but not satisfied.
A better job, upgraded transportation, and nearly two years of personal and financial rebuilding later, April is a proud employee of StepUp Wilmington’s partner employer, Port of Wilmington Cold Storage.
During her time at StepUp Wilmington, April said that the life skills instruction she gained through Step2 directly impacted her new path. “It helped me rebuild my credit score by more than 100 points which led to a new, much more reliable car. It also helped me leave my last job well, not burning any bridges but building my network.”
April is now a StepUp Wilmington Ambassador and still attends Step2 regularly. This past Wednesday, April connected with others who are struggling to tackle credit issues. “Instead of waiting for good things to happen to me, StepUp gave me the tools to make good things happen for myself.”
Thank you, April, for sharing your story!
If you have a job but are looking for a change, give us a call at (910)343-8469 to learn how we can help.
SUW Behind the Scenes: Meet Bethany
