Jesyca Hope | YWCA Women of Excellence HonoreeDirector of Member Programs and Outreach with Kansas Independent College Association || Owner of Hope Communications Consulting || VP of Board for Community Action || Design Chair for SLI Festival of Trees

What inspires you to get up and do the work?
Right now it's medicine. I suffer from what could be debilitating mental health issues and if it wasn't for therapy and antidepressants, I don't know if I COULD get up and do the work. I'd just like to take this opportunity to normalize the process.

What have you learned about yourself through the challenges you have overcome?
That some of the challenges are my OWN fault for not learning to say no more often.

How do you take care of yourself?
I have learned to ask for very specific help.

What is the best advice you've ever been given? Or what advice do you have for others?
When someone you love starts a sentence with.. have you ever considered ____?... listen. Maybe it's doing theatre for the first time? Maybe it's a career role they think you'd be good at. For me, it was, have you ever considered you're lactose intolerant? But I've also asked others, have you ever considered having the baby on your own? starting your own business? Moving? Have you ever considered you're being too hard on yourself or that you might need a little help? We often see in others what we don't see in ourselves, so we should accept that partnership when offered in love.

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