Naila Finds Her Motivation in the Great Wall
“Before coming to Cara Collective, I was a depressed, directionless college dropout.
“I endured a rough upbringing. However, I was always an overachiever. I pushed myself and graduated high school 12th in my class. I was accepted into the University of Illinois Springfield’s Honors program in 2020, with all my room, board, and tuition covered.
“However, a few months into school, I suffered a severe mental breakdown.
“Over the next three years I was diagnosed with major depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder. I attended therapy and took medications to cope. But in December 2023, my depression became so great I stopped attending class. I dropped out to avoid having a transcript full of “Fs.”
“Fearing for my future, I reached out to Cara and was recruited into its March 2024 Cohort. I remember spending the majority of my orientation trying not to cry. I felt ashamed for being unable to find a job on my own and I was afraid because my community had repeatedly let me down. I didn’t know what to expect from Cara, but then my recruiter introduced me to the Great Wall.
“The Great Wall is a powerful symbol in Cara’s main classroom. It’s a display of plaques honoring participants who’ve completed a year on the job. Each plaque bears a name, a workplace, and a date — and each represents a story of perseverance. Every day I walked into Cara, I saw that wall, and it gave me hope. It reminded me that I wasn’t alone, and that success was possible. Every day, I showed up at Cara, I saw the Great Wall, and I was fueled by it.
“After completing Cara’s core training, the Employment Services team connected me with Rush University Medical Center’s Guest Relations Department. They saw something in me — my warmth, my attention to detail — and encouraged me to apply. A week later, I interviewed, and on June 3, 2024, I started my new role at Rush.
“Working at Rush has been the most perfect experience. As a Guest Relations Associate, I assist visitors, patients, and students of Rush hospital by giving directions, communicating with nurses on behalf of family, and checking visitors in and being a listening ear when needed. Being in a high-paced, ever-changing environment is highly enjoyable for me.
“With the support of both my Cara family and Rush family, I made the Great Wall in June of this year!
“When I saw my name on the Great Wall I was overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude and elation. I’d made it, and now, I had the opportunity to give back by sharing my story. The prompt for that morning was ‘What have you accomplished in the past year, and how did you do it?’
“I had a great first year at my dream school, Columbia College, and I qualified for a dual degree program, which allows me to start my Master’s in Strategic Communication while completing my undergrad.
“I accomplished all of this not only because of my determination, but because of the courage my Cara community gave me. If I could go back to my first day of Cara, I would tell myself, ‘You’re making the right choice.'”
Your support this Season of Giving is critical to helping more job seekers like Naila transform their lives and find self-sufficiency through the power of employment. Click here to make a donation today.
