Eric lost his career, home, and the ability to pursue his degree due to a serious illness. His decision to pursue the Google IT Support Professional Certificate helped him regain his footing.
My name is Eric and I live in the state of Oregon. When I was thirty years old, I decided to go back to school to get a degree in communications. Unfortunately, I had health issues that interrupted my plan repeatedly. As my condition got worse, I lost several jobs as well as the opportunity to finish up school. When I started to feel healthier I made a third attempt to finish my education. At the same time, I also got a job as a sales account manager for a computer company in Salem, Oregon. A few months into the job, I suffered severe intestinal problems and was hospitalized for a week. I wasn’t able to finish school or keep the job.
By the end of 2017, I had lost everything: my house, my savings, everything that mattered most. I spiraled into a dark place. I felt like a failure; I couldn’t finish anything I started. I was really stuck. Around the same time, I learned about the Google IT Support Professional Certificate and decided to enroll in early 2018. The Google program gave me purpose again as well as a goal for me to actually complete at my own pace.
After many years of feeling like I could never finish anything, my goals to complete my certificate helped change my determination and outlook. It was incredible to finish the program and document my progress on social media. I took my work seriously, and each time I finished a section, life seemed to get a little better.
Sharing my story helps remind me of how far I have come. It gives me the strength to keep going. My advice to those who are struggling would be to find a goal, no matter how small, and to make it a priority.