As a teenager, I would have never imagined myself working in the financial industry one day, but if there is anything that I have learned, it’s that life has a way of changing the best laid plans.
Growing up in Rickman, TN, I graduated high school from Livingston Academy intent on becoming a physical therapy assistant. In pursuit of that career, I decided to attend Vol State, and it was there, between my second and third year of college, that I met the perfect guy and fell in love. We married in short order and before long were expecting our first child. Though I tried to finish my education, the financial struggle of paying for school and supporting a family was just too great, and I made the difficult decision to leave school and work full-time to help pay the bills.
Looking for job stability and the potential for growth, I began working as a Sam’s Club associate in Cookeville, starting as a cashier and eventually shifting to customer service and other roles over a four-year period. During this time our family grew, and our son was three years old when we were blessed with a daughter. I was also given a new job opportunity when the Hearing Center located in Sam’s Club offered me a position with their company. I happily accepted and for three more years, life flowed smoothly, despite my husband’s occasional deployments abroad as a soldier in the Army Reserve.
The year 2020 began happily, too. After years of saving money, we were looking to buy our first home, and we were really excited about the accomplishment. Our children were also keeping us busy, and most of our time outside of work was spent doing things together as a family. Our family was healthy; we were financially stable, and the future looked bright. Then COVID-19 arrived in the United States.
That spring we had finally found a home we wanted to buy, and in April we had our closing. It turned out to be on the same day I was told I was being furloughed at work. Needless to say, that day will be a milestone in our lives for more than one reason. I had always appreciated my job and had no intention of leaving it, but it really was just a job. So, when I was furloughed, I chose to stay calm and see it as a chance to find a position that better suited my family’s needs and my own professional goals. After patiently considering many options, I decided to apply for the administrative assistant’s position that was advertised by Raymond James. Thankfully, their needs perfectly suited my needs, and I was hired.
Working at Raymond James has been a fascinating and eye-opening experience, and in a sense, I had to return to school and learn a new language, but the curriculum could not have been more appropriate or more welcome for this period of my life, as my husband and I make long-term financial plans for our young family. Life will undoubtedly throw more curve balls our way. Hopefully, we will always be able to accept them with grace and use them as opportunities for growth.