I knew that I wanted a brighter future for myself and my child and to be financially independent – but I also knew that I desperately needed guidance on how to achieve those goals.
We looked at our self-esteem, confidence and beliefs
First, my New Futures group taught me to accept that I was a lone parent and that this was OK. I realised that I hadn’t fully acknowledged the reality of my situation up until then. Then, we looked at our self-esteem, confidence and beliefs, all of which helped me to get a greater understanding of myself. My coach Helen helped me to explore my values which was ground breaking for me as I realised how important they are to me.
We were asked to imagine our dream career
I looked at a whole range of career options including starting my own business and returning to education. But, something clicked for me when we were asked to imagine our dream career – the one we would choose for ourselves if we had no restrictions. I immediately chose dance, thinking that’s what I’d do if I could turn the clock back to being 18, before I became a mum.
Suddenly, with the support of One Family, all the barriers that restricted me from following my dream simply fell away. Mental barriers, practical barriers and financial barriers all disappeared. I began my full time degree course in dance last September. I am coming to the end of my first year and cannot believe how my life has turned around. Full time dance training can be challenging as it’s a very high-energy course combined with academic work. I have to be very organised and sometimes it can be exhausting along with parenting alone.
I am working towards a career I am passionate about
I am working towards a career I am passionate about and one which gives me enormous satisfaction. I am grateful for the opportunity New Futures gave me. It helped to guide me into my very own new future.
Read more stories from the New Futures Programme here.
