Challenges and Successes
Unfortunately, Ms. Hunte encountered an extended timeframe of under- and unemployment. Therefore, Ms. Hunte opted to apply for and secure Public Assistance, and was placed at America Works of New York.
A handful of partici-pants shook their heads in disbelief, noting their surprise that Ms. Hunte participated at America Works at one time. Ms. Hunte’s response to the physical reaction was, “Yes, I too sat in chairs like these, attending workshops, feeling resentful, because I wanted a job.” Participants chuckled in acknowledgement. Ms. Hunte further explained that it took time for her mindset to shift and to see how she could improve many skills.
Through participating in America Works’ program as well as regular meetings with Phil Jones, her Corporate Representative at the time, Ms. Hunte’s confidence and attitude shifted. Within a few weeks, Mr. Jones helped Ms. Hunte interview and procure employment with Royal Health Care. This small spark of a role grew into greater opportunities and interests for Ms. Hunte.
After a couple of months working as a Marketing representative, where her main responsibility was attracting and recruiting individuals to enroll in Royal Health Care’s health insurance, Ms. Hunte considered quitting the job, but opted to stay – she wanted to “move forward, not go backwards.”
“Yes, I too sat in chairs like these, attending workshops, feeling resentful, because I wanted a job.” - Ms. Simon Hunte
Encouragement, Reflection, and Growth
In a brief interjection, Phil Jones, Ms. Hunte’s former Corporate Representative, now serving as Senior Vice President here at America Works of New York, expressed his pride and elation that Ms. Hunte made time to speak to America Works’ participants about her challenges and successes. Mr. Jones reemphasized Ms. Hunte’s encouragement to the participants in gleaning as much information and knowledge in their time and interactions within America Works of New York. Finally, Mr. Jones recounted Ms. Hunte’s initial resistance, and eventual acceptance of the guidance and assistance from the program, leading to her first position with Royal Health Services.
Ms. Hunte continued her story, speaking of pursuing Nursing as well as completing a degree in Computer Science, which the audience found curious in her interests – she noted that these subjects interested her and appeared to have good growth opportunities as she built her career in Healthcare. Ms. Hunte progressed from marketing to leadership and corporate and new-hire training for other health insurance companies.
One participant inquired about challenges she faced as she navigated her career. Her response included “Knowing my worth [in the marketplace] – a manager tried to take advantage of me, my abilities, and my work ethic by denying me a raise, despite having more responsibilities.” Ms. Hunte went on to detail the actions she took to move on from the role, to an-other company, despite her enjoyment of the work she was doing. Thankfully, Ms. Hunte found fulfilling and rewarding work with her new role.
In the final segment, Ms. Hunte exercised great sensitivity and grace in discussing a very emotional part of her story, where she encountered domestic violence (DV). She vetted the group to see if anyone had encountered DV personally or someone they love. A few participants raised their hands, some volunteered that they personally had either endured, escaped, witnessed, or helped others escape domestic violence. The brief but impactful snapshots ranged from childhood to teen years to adulthood, from both men and women in the audience. Ms. Hunte recounted her experience of enduring, near-escape and eventual freedom from her abuser. She noted that her driving forces to leave were “survival and a better life.”
One participant thanked her for her insights, and tearfully asked how she endured when she felt she had no support. Ms. Hunte gently pressed for clarity about ‘not having support,’ and the participant stated she felt very lost without having any people supporting her effort to succeed. Ms. Hunte encouraged the participant, and everyone else, to seek as many resources as possible through America Works of New York and its affiliates/partners. Ms. Hunte offered to speak with the participant privately to offer more direct support.
In closing, Ms. Hunte encouraged participants to exercise self-care, to pursue their interests, and utilize opportunities for their own successes. The audience expressed they felt inspired, hopeful, and grateful for Ms. Simon Hunte’s candor in sharing her story, knowing that there are excellent experiences to gain from America Works of New York and beyond.
