Before I began working with Jenn, I was doing fine. I was in school, taking classes and doing well. I had withdrawn and stopped going a couple times before finally deciding that I needed to just go and get it done. That was about it; that was my life. School was just something that kept me going and was a means for me to get a job in the future that I could support myself with. I suppose it wasn’t all bad. I had at least chosen to major in something that I knew I would enjoy, but even so, it felt pretty…. blah? I wanted to be a nurse. OK great, but was that really it? I couldn’t really figure out why something still felt wrong—missing. Majoring in nursing was what I wanted, so why wasn’t it resonating with me? It must have been obvious that I was feeling a bit lost because a family friend introduced me to Jenn. He told me, “She knows some good nursing programs and would maybe have some helpful ideas to share with you.” Boy, oh boy, was that the understatement of the century!
It has been over two years since I first started working with Jenn. I have never felt so driven, settled, and content with myself and my life. The feeling that I was missing something has now been replaced with a palpable excitement for my life and all it holds. I am not going to be “just a nurse”. I will be an advocate for all the patients I meet. I will bring a positive, genuine, and compassionate energy to all those who need it. Before Jenn, the part of myself that believed she could do anything she dreamt of doing was asleep. Now…that innocent childhood feeling of believing that I can reach for the stars instead of only reaching for the clouds has finally returned. It is time to go after that Master’s degree, that PhD, that “whatever-makes-you-feel-happy-and-alive”!
Being around Jenn is quite an experience, and honestly, kind of hard to explain unless you’ve experienced it for yourself. No matter what mood you’re in, you’re almost instantly relaxed when you start talking to her. Her calm and happy emotions transfer to you and you feel light and happy. Through working with Jenn, I have now been given the tools to be the source of my own light and happiness without needing it from the outside. She has introduced me to versions of myself that I thought couldn’t exist, but there they were…. waiting quietly until I was ready to meet them.
The “me” today, well she just graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and will be attending the accelerated BSN program at Anschutz Medical Campus. The “me” tomorrow will be a Doctor of Midwifery with her own practice, bringing human beings into a world full of health and happiness. The “me” of forever, well…. she will always be thankful that Jenn cared enough to awaken the “me” that was waiting to change the world. We all have that “me” inside of us. We all have the power to live our very best life and fulfill all our biggest dreams, sometimes we just need to be reminded of that power. Jenn makes us aware of that power and gives us the tools to take control and responsibility of our own lives so that we can hold on through the ups and downs, while loving the entire ride!
I will never be able to fully explain just how amazing of a human being Jenn is, nor how thankful I will always be to have known her. All I can really do is live the life I want; live the life I am so excited for — a life I only ever hoped for, but one that I am now living. Jenn, thanks for the knowledge, guidance, care, and compassion. Thanks for everything.