Today we’d like to introduce you to Wendy Watson.
Wendy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The second half of my college career began at age 34. I was a full-time mom to four young children; a ten-year-old, a six-year-old, and two-year-old twins. I failed out of college as an early twenty-something when my neurodiverse mind became overwhelmed by life changes and undiagnosed mental illness. I changed my focus to becoming a wife and a mother. I married young and began having children right away. Eight years later, after the birth of my twins and a near-fatal battle with depression, I began a journey of healing from deep-rooted trauma that I did not know I was suppressing. Through therapists, nutritionists, psychiatrists, and a small circle of support, I was able to discover who I was outside of mental illness and outside of failure. I had never known true independence or accomplishment. While I valued my goal of creating a family, I never allowed myself to indulge my dream of graduating college and being someone all my own. My mind, which once seemed like a prison, became a gift, as I allowed myself, for the first time, to explore who I wanted to be. I recalled my desire to learn about hard things, my natural attraction to suffering. I poured into research and took cues from a community of friends in the helping professions, finding there is a place for people like me. There is a calling for those who can bear a horrific account and not be defeated by the evil but identify with the pain. I worked tirelessly for three years to complete my Bachelor of Social Work, graduating with honors from Limestone University in May of 2021. Then, the girl who thought she would never achieve a college degree, went straight to graduate school in the fall.
Now, three weeks post-graduate school, and officially a Master of Social Work, I am reflecting on the journey. After four long years, four young children, one infinitely supportive spouse, countless all-nighters (that lead into all-dayers), hours of cuddling babies while researching and zoom-meeting, and a rapidly flowing river of tears, I am at the finish line. I have warded off the evils of doubt and defeat, and overcome obstacles that seemed impassable. I learned that people are not born with resilience, but they can learn it when they have to. I learned that, while I did this myself, there were a lot of behind-the-scenes supporters making it possible. I hope my perseverance will not be lost on my impressionable children and I hope it will not be lost on me either. I hope that my journey will become that of another who believes they can’t, but learns that they can. And if someone witnessed me falling, I hope they stuck around to see me get back up and keep going.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have fought an ongoing battle with mental illness since I was a teenager. I live every day with the awareness of my diagnosis of Bipolar II disorder, complex PTSD, and disordered eating. In October 2019, while pursuing my bachelor’s degree, my husband’s job moved our family of six from Greenville, SC down to Bluffton. We were three and a half hours away from extended family and the comfort of familiarity. Withdrawing from my courses to relieve some of the stress of relocating, I was set back by a whole semester. In March of 2020, when the whole world shut down due to Covid-19, I was working to catch up on courses and found myself having to homeschool my school-age children while taming my three-year-old twins. Two weeks into quarantine, my husband developed symptoms of Covid-19 and, within days, I was dropping him off at the make-shift emergency room in the parking lot of the hospital. It would be nearly three weeks before we felt confident that he was going to recover. While battling Covid-19 myself, I continued to care for my children and maintain hope that our nightmare would end and life would go back to normal. Realizing I was drowning in my circumstances and spiraling down a black hole of crippling anxiety and depression, I took a step back to regroup and assess where my focus was most needed. I withdrew from another semester of courses. Another setback, but mental illness did not win.
The struggles and chaos of juggling internships, coursework, and a busy family continued through both of my degrees. I was constantly fighting through cycles of darkness to get to moments of light. I learned how to give myself grace and how to step back and take a breath when my responsibilities began to overtake me.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Officially finished with graduate school, I recently began my new position as the school social worker at May River High School in Bluffton. With past experience in the field of child advocacy, sexual abuse, and youth intervention, as well as focused research on the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences, I hope to contribute to the efforts of mental health awareness, advocacy, and support in the school community. Only a month into the school year, my days are already busy with brave students reaching out for support, families seeking resources to help support their teens’ mental health and academic success, and working with other staff members to make the school a holistically enriching experience for students.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Now that I am no longer a student, I get to spend more time with my husband, our children, and our dog, Scout. I enjoy being the loudest mom at my children’s sporting events and beaching our boat at the sandbar on the weekends. I appreciate reading a good psychological thriller or an inspirational biography, while eating sushi in bed. I love long naps and football, and I can’t stand heights or injustice.
Contact info:
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-watson-ssw
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/wlizerwatson
Image Credits
Caitlin Ryan (Memory Lane Portraits)
