Sometimes just seeing resilience can change out mindset and unlock our own resilience. That’s our hope with the Portraits of Resilience series – we hope the stories below will inspire you to tap into your own resilience.

Kaylah Nicole

Building resilience has been a bit of a journey for me. Truthfully, that journey began right after COVID. I was studying to be a teacher in University going into my second year. I’d known for a while that it wasn’t what I wanted to do, but what I thought I “should” do. My time during quarantine helped me find clarity on how I really wanted to live my life. I wanted to take risks and live out my greatest dreams without abandon. I decided to leave university and audition for Acting Schools in New York City. Read more>>

Arlene Salinas

Being a female and a Latina has a lot to do with my resilience. Tattooing for 17 years has also contributed to my resilience. Naturally, I believe that most people with indigenous lineage have a genetic disposition to being resilient. Coming from a mexican background and growing up around other strong women has made me who I am. My career as a tattooer has also made me the person I am today. Tattooing can be tough, it used to be more of a boy’s club when I came into it. Back then, and even now, you have to be resilient and not easily shaken to make it. Tattooing takes a lot of guts, heart, blood, sweat and tears. Not to mention, patience. If you work hard for anything in life it will pay off. Read more>>

Hui Jing

Resilience is something I’ve developed over years of experience in UX design, and it’s deeply rooted in the nature of the design process itself. Design, especially user experience design, requires a constant cycle of listening and integrating feedback, which is essential for creating solutions that truly resonate with users. This process has taught me to empathize with users and approach design from their perspective, which ultimately drives me to craft solutions that genuinely meet their needs. Read more>>

Rochelle Mulvihill

My grandmother. She was the strongest woman I knew, who never gave up no matter what life threw her way. Read more>>

Kessuda Tispak

grown up in lower class family, in the developing country as Thailand there was a lot to learn to survive. My parent were tough to me, there was no time to play in our family, in the weekend when other kids were running around, my brother and I needed to walk around the village selling Thai Snacks that my grandmother made just because we need to make more money. There was no time for vulnerability, my family had a lot of domestic problem, one thing that my mom always says is “Don’t Cry” it wasn’t a requesting, it was forcing. I’m used to those feeling like disappointing, sad, upset but can’t complain, can’t say anything but keep moving. I still believe that who I am right now it builded from those rough experiences back then, and mold me in to the good shape. Those things made me resilience Read more>>

Stella Aschenbrenner

In general, I believe resilience is often born from loss and failure. Loss, in particular, has been a significant teacher in my life, revealing some of life’s hardest lessons. I was sixteen when I lost my father, and as the oldest of six children, I shouldered the responsibility of helping my family adjust to the devastating absence of our provider and protector. My mother became our sole parent, filling the roles that both parents had once shared. No one can truly prepare for that kind of loss. My journey of rebuilding and learning to rise above challenges began in adolescence as I supported my mom in caring for my younger siblings. Read more>>

Phyllis Okon

My resilence is born from hope. When my father was imprisoned in concentration camps, he often told us what kept him alive was hope. Survival was just around the corner, and something better was in reach.
Both my husband and I were children of survivors, and as such, I think faith and hope were ingrained in us at an early age. We never give up and are unafraid to dive in and try new ideas. Read more>>

Makenzie Morgan

I believe it all starts from the beginning, where I grew up, the way I was raised and the people which I was surrounded by. I remember as a small girl growing up on the Native American Reservation in a 3-bedroom 1 bath house with my mom, brother, grandma and uncle. A place where I didn’t feel we had anything less than everyone else in the world. It’s a place that has helped shape who I am and has given me clarity into who I want to become. I didn’t know it then, but many, many years later I know that everything I experienced there has made an impact, whether big or small, in my story. It’s a rare occasion that people leave and start their own lives off the reservation but my mom, brother and I ended up being the first in our family to move off the reservation and create a life far greater than what we knew. My mom was a single parent doing everything that she could to give my brother and myself a life full of experiences, love, generosity, adventure, and kindness. We grew up with all the necessities, but we were also frugal with what we had, as my mom worked multiple jobs to allow us to follow our passions. She showed me firsthand the power of being resilient. Nothing was ever handed to us. If we wanted something, we were the ones that needed to find a way to make it happen. I don’t believe we are born with resilience. I think a resilient mindset comes from challenging experiences, trials and tribulations. We had been put in many situations in life which could have completely defined our story. The simple fact is this, just because the season of life we were in may have been nothing like we had dreamed things to be doesn’t mean it didn’t have a purpose. The bullying, violence, unknowns, sadness, insecurities, negativity all made me realize that there are plenty of beautiful moments in between as well. The mountain may be steep to reach your destination but all you need is some grit, time and a little bit of faith. YOU WILL make it up the mountain you just have to be willing to take a few bumps and bruises along the way. They say that the view from the top of the mountain is beautiful and let me tell you it absolutely is. My story is only beginning. We have so many more chapters and mountains to climb but I am ready for whatever journey comes my way! Read more>>

Susan Johnson

I get my resilience from my deep rooted faith, family, friends and years of therapy. I have been through lots of ups and downs as a woman living with bipolar disorder ( a mood disorder with extreme highs knows as manias and deep lows to the point of suicide) since 1995. In writing my book “Some Dreams Are Worth Keeping” A Memoir of My Bipolar Journey I was able to look back at my life and realize I never gave up despite the many obstacles in my way. I came out on the other side with wisdom and success. I followed my dream of going to college and becoming an educator. I was always scared to tell people I have bipolar and never dreamed I would share my journey with the world. I have learned there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Read more>>

Bandiougou Dione

I believe that my resilience comes from the times of illness that I went through during my childhood and adolescence. In fact, I was a weak child and I got sick more often than my brothers and sisters. I remember that one time, during a serious illness, I asked my mother if I would get better. And my mother told me that I would get better, for sure, by the grace of God. And I did. After several months of difficult times, I got better. Read more>>

Somer Canon

Resilience runs in my blood, for better and most certainly for worse. I come from a long line of stubborn survivors who meet tough times head on and, even if those times leave you on your butt, you get up and keep going. It’s embedded in our DNA. I’m not one to romanticize struggle, and I don’t particularly want to subject my children to some of the things that hurt me as a child. While I am someone who gets up when knocked down, I still hurt and I’d rather spare my loved ones that pain. Read more>>

Porsha Kimble

I get my resilience from my Mother! She’s always super positive and puts things into perspective. She reminds me of what the world has to offer. Read more>>

Rukshana Triem

I have learned Resilience from being a former Refugee.
I am the older of five children and living in the refugee camp was about survival. My job was to wait for food in lines not knowing if I would make it to the beginning of the line so I could get my container poured into boiled beans with water and no salt or spices.

The adversity of that survival set the tone for the rest of my life. Read more>>

Jen Patterson

On January 10, 2020, I gave birth to my second son, Forrest. A few hours after giving birth, I learned that due to a previously undetected birth defect, he was going to have a very short life. We brought him home, loved him fiercely, and in the early morning hours of January 19th, we said goodbye to him. Read more>>

Tanika Andrews

At an early age I was taught to do things for myself. My great grandmother Pearline James never just did anything for me she told me to try first. My mother Wendy Andrews would say did you try before asking me? I am a real example of watching, learning and paying attention to the adults around me. My mother was young when she had me but it never stopped her from being a better version of herself. She didn’t just graduate from high school, she went to job core and then graduated from college. She made no excuses for herself and showed me without saying a word that if you want it then go for it. My great grandmother taught me life. She had me in the kitchen with her, I made my first dish at 4. It was only pancakes but I was very proud and her and my great grandfather ate my pancakes like they were the best in the world. My Granny would never allow me to make up an excuses. I had to make my bed in the morning, fold my clothes and check to make sure I had my homework before leaving for school. Always and mean always thank God for everyday I take a breath. Watching both of these women gave me the attitude that either I was going to get what I wanted or I was going down trying my best. Granny also told me that not everything is meant for me so if I have too many signs to stop then I should Read more>>

Fossil Daddy

I think my resilience comes from growing up in a chaotic, packed house where peace was a rare thing. With so much going on around me, I found that escaping into my own little world was often the only way to catch my breath. Those moments—just small bits of quiet I carved out for myself—became my way to stay steady when things outside felt too overwhelming. It’s prob why I value personal space above all else within my relationships in life. Read more>>

Hady Mendez

I’ve reflected a lot on resilience, especially over the past 18 months when I’ve needed it most. I’ve realized resilience comes from within. I don’t actively try to be resilient—I just show up as my authentic self, give myself the space to process setbacks, and then find the strength to move forward. I’m the kind of person who might be shedding tears over a setback one moment, going for a walk the next, and then waking up the next day feeling renewed and hopeful. I consider it a gift from my ancestors. Read more>>

Annarose Quinn

Well, resilience isn’t something you’re born with, it’s something you build. For me, it came from a place of inexplicable pain and the desire to turn that pain into purpose. There were moments when I felt incredibly vulnerable, but I found strength in my experiences and the support of others. When I started 50fifty, I was really just trying to make sense of my own experiences and find a way to help people who have been through something similar. Every challenge, every setback, every moment of doubt – it all chipped away, shaping the person I am today. Read more>>

Nicole Pertillar

Resilience: The ability to adapt and overcome challenges. Resilience in my life has developed through countless number of obstacles that I had to overcome. Each one of them made me stronger as I worked through how not to fold under the weight of difficulties. One of those times stands out right now. Read more>>

Yasmin Elzomor

I’ve earned my resilience through facing obstacles and challenges rather than avoiding or running away from them. I had a spontaneous spiritual awakening at the age of 21 and that forced me to face myself. At the time, I was working a lot and making tons of money but I felt deeply unfulfilled. I was in an unhealthy relationship and I was surrounded by friends and people that didn’t really see the real me. My life felt very superficial. I didn’t want to admit it to myself and I thought that I could keep hiding from the truth…but eventually the veil was lifted and I saw things for what they were. It was a difficult time and I felt lonely, lost and desperate for answers — it was a time in my life where I really had to learn to trust and rely on myself. I felt like I was drowning and everything was burning down right in front of my eyes, but I knew that I had it in me to rise from the ashes and recreate myself in better and more powerful ways. I started doing the inner work to become a more authentic and integrated individual. I had to let go of many people and beliefs. I had to grieve the old version of myself and say goodbye to everything I thought I was. Although I’ve experienced hardship, I’m grateful that through the difficulties that life has thrown at me I’ve become stronger and have the emotional capacity to face the world head on no matter what happens. Read more>>