Rebecca Cole

When did you get your first Big Break? How did you get it? How did it go?

I got my first Big Break when the BK (Burger King) Foundation awarded me a scholarship my Senior year of High School. It did not cover all my tuition, but I selected a community college that was in-district so it covered most of it. I was not sure about what major I wanted to select at the time, but it really helped me get my core courses completed that I later transferred into a University to complete another Associates and my Bachelors. I was the first in my immediate family to achieve a 4-year degree. Getting the BK Foundation scholarship also gave me the confidence I needed to apply to other scholarships. I went on to achieve about three additional scholarships that helped me finish student loan free.

What is the biggest challenge you had to overcome to get to where you are now professionally? How did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge that I have had to overcome was my mental health coupled with a weak financial situation. I grew up in and out of poverty and was a free/reduced lunch program kid. I had struggles with depression early on and when I was in high school, a few traumatic events started a battle with PTSD. After high school, I also struggled with anxiety. This internal struggle, left me battling to keep jobs as the lack of longevity with employers meant I was ineligible for benefits or the benefits they did have, did not suit what I actually needed. Admittedly, I buried my struggles to my own detriment. After a breaking point, I had to lean very heavily into trying to create a support network of family, friends, and other resources (counseling). It took several years of building that support network and a lot of counseling and self-help, but I was able to finally achieve stable employment and grow and get to where I am professionally.

When you were a student, did you do anything outside of school to build skills or get knowledge that has helped your career?

I volunteered, worked in different careers, and always tried to participate in extracurriculars that interested me. What helped me was finding a way to get involved in different things so I could explore what I liked, what I wanted, and what was going to work