About one year ago, Vanessa wasn’t dreaming about her ideal career or searching for her life’s calling. After a traumatic situation left her in uncertainty and overwhelm, she was looking for a safe place to land—a way to get back into the rhythm of everyday life.
She focused on regaining solid ground for herself and her children, one small step at a time. She put one foot forward: seeking mental health support from a nonprofit agency. And then another: following a referral to Chrysalis’ job-readiness program.
During that season, Vanessa leaned deeply on her faith as she found her way back to stability: “Even though my future felt unclear, I trusted that Christ was steadying my steps. Looking back on that period of my life, I wasn’t walking alone. I see the people He placed in my path: family and friends, alongside counselors, mentors, and advocates from organizations like Chrysalis.”
Vanessa was nervous about reentering the workforce, but she felt at ease when she arrived for her first job preparation class. Seeing people from all walks of life also navigating challenging pasts and choosing to forge ahead was both humbling and encouraging.
The structure of Chrysalis’ program put Vanessa on what she calls a “path of routine,” giving her the cadence she needed to rebuild. Transitioning out of a volatile period in her life, Vanessa found relief in the otherwise ordinary: “It gave me a place to be at. Okay, I have an appointment at this time, so I’ll get up, get dressed, go there. Okay, next time, I have to do this class—get up, get dressed, and go there.”
One day at a time. One foot after another.
At first, these steps felt small. But looking back, Vanessa sees that this is when the fog began to lift. Chrysalis’ staff listened without pressuring her to map out years into her future. Instead, they helped her focus on rebuilding the present. Eventually, her consistency turned into momentum. She started feeling like herself again, and she started feeling excited about the chapter ahead.
Thinking back to this period of newfound stability, Vanessa shared: “I began to sense that Christ was restoring more than my employment. He was restoring my confidence and sense of identity.”
As she prepared for a job interview with her employment specialist, her confidence returned. The position was in UCLA’s Nuclear Medicine and Theranostics Department, and Vanessa had neither medical experience nor a college degree. She worried these might be limitations, but Chrysalis worked with Vanessa to identify her transferable skills. Vanessa saw that her experience as a successful entrepreneur had equipped her with a skillset well-suited for the role. Chrysalis staff helped her articulate those strengths clearly, and she aced the interview.
Landing the job by highlighting her unique lived expertise affirmed something deeper: authenticity matters.
“You can build something meaningful out of your experiences. Not by pretending to be someone you’re not, but by recognizing that what you’ve walked through builds perseverance,” Vanessa reflected. “For me, that perseverance is not self-made. I believe it was formed through my relationship with Christ, strengthened through adversity, and reinforced by the community of people He placed in my life.”
Now working full-time, Vanessa has found a new rhythm propelling her forward. A year after completing Chrysalis’ program, she has maintained that momentum and found the breathing room to dream again, plan intentionally, and take meaningful steps toward the future.
In addition to her work at UCLA, Vanessa serves as a caregiver. While she did not intentionally seek roles centered on care and connection, she began to recognize how both positions were shaping her in unexpected ways. Through listening to patients, supporting families, and showing up consistently for others, she discovered that these roles were surfacing a deeper calling within her.
“Being able to connect with patients and really hear them out—unknowingly, that is helping me train toward my dream,” Vanessa shared, referring to her hopes of starting a nonprofit that supports women navigating trauma and rebuilding their lives. “These jobs have built up a muscle in me to listen, empathize, understand people’s stories, and simply be present.”
She continues to exercise that muscle daily at work, at home, and in her community. She has also taken tangible steps toward her vision by starting a women’s ministry called Along the Way. The name reflects the belief that growth unfolds step by step. It also honors the people and organizations (like Chrysalis) who walked alongside her during one of the most formative seasons of her life.
That journey was one that Vanessa navigated with presence and intention, and it’s how she continues to move through life. What she’s building next is still taking shape, but it’s rooted in something steady: trust in her faith, gratitude for the support that helped her stand again, empathy for others healing from hardship, and the resilience to move forward—one day at a time.