Story of Transformation and Triumph
Jessica Bullard started at Family Scholar House as an Academic Coach, completing a goal to give back to a place that had given so much to her. Jessica was once a participant at Family Scholar House. The entire time she was there she consistently thought about the things she would like to accomplish once she made it on the other side. Now that Jessica has crossed that finish line she loves pouring into the participants and using her story to motivate and encourage them.
Jessica found FSH in 2014 through a friend. She was in a toxic, unhealthy relationship, and because of that, she and her son were couch-hopping to sleep. At the time, her son was around 8. She moved into Downtown Scholar House within three months – much quicker than anticipated. She was enrolled to get her Bachelors in Psychology. Jessica described her time at FSH as healing. While in the military, she thought she injured her spine. It turned out to be a tumor on her spine. This discovery (and emergency surgery) majorly affected her plans. Based on advice from her doctor and Family Advocate, Jessica started seeing a therapist. This experience led her to a path of mending her mental health and piqued her interest in healing others.
Jessica loved the multigenerational workshops. An example of one of these workshops was the I Love Mom/Dad Shop; in this workshop, the kids got the opportunity to pick out a gift to give to their parents. This experience made her realize how much her kiddo paid attention to her, and his intentionality and thoughtfulness. Some more favorite memories include art therapy, reverse trick or treating, and her drive-by graduation—she graduated during the height of the pandemic. Additionally, the Wine, Women, and Shoes event was a pivotal moment for Jessica because she saw all that she had accomplished in her time at FSH.
After going through the program, Jessica felt called to be an Academic Coach. Jessica doesn’t have a big family, and she noticed that many participants at FSH don’t have a lot of familial support either. Jessica wants to become that support for participants who need it. She wants to model healthy relationships and champion mental health for participants and their children. Mental health is intertwined with everything in one’s life, and Jessica’s own Academic Coach helped her see this. She wants to be the champion that celebrates with the participants, even when they don’t notice their accomplishments, and see no need for celebration. Jessica realized the importance of having someone there to advocate for you when you are in need, and that’s who she chose to be for the participants.
Working for Family Scholar House has truly helped Jessica see her growth. Before FSH, she almost applied for this role several times, but didn’t out of fear. Now, Jessica knows that on her own she is enough, and she is thriving! The participants at FSH trust her, she’s helping them to find their voices, and she’s bonding with the kids which build community and is incredibly important at FSH. Being able to do this is truly a full-circle moment for Jessica. This reminds her that she is still a part of the Family. It helps her to know she has something to offer back to the space that helped her so much. She can be a role model, and let the participants know they can make it out and be who they always dreamt they could be.