Embracing Resilience and Growth: The Empowering Story of Cindy Nino
“One thing I would tell my younger self is to not be afraid to take risks because risk-taking means you are growing.” That is what Cindy Nino, Center Director for C2 Education shared with us recently.
“There are many challenges that come when you are not familiar with places and situations. We tend to move in the direction of being comfortable even if it would be better to step into the unfamiliar. I imagine most people struggle with that. I know I did. I’ll give you an example.”
“I was married and had a young daughter. We moved away from my family in Texas to New Jersey for work. Sometime later, my husband and I broke up. My sister asked me to move near her, to a state where I’d never been. Maybe because I already moved, I struggled with fearful thoughts and did not go. In retrospect, I think I would have been in a better situation. I have no family in New Jersey and I have had to fight my way forward.”
“I told myself, ‘I can’t go anywhere but up. My daughters depend on me.’ I didn’t have time to dwell on my problems. I had to heal on my own time. Because I wanted to take good care of my family, I stepped up. I’ll tell you this I’ve learned to be resilient. I am a wiser person.”
“Currently, as the Center Director at C2 Education, I enroll and help AP students who want to improve their academic grades and GPAs. I wasn’t always in this role. The job I had before 2020 ended due to the pandemic but another door opened. I was hired at a call center as a District Leader supporting 42 remote contractors. My role was to ensure excellent customer service. Not long after, a friend told me about this position. I applied and got the job!”
“A second piece of advice I’d like to share applies to all women. Women need to support women in the workplace. Most of us are mothers. Those who have supportive family situations should be helpful to and respectful of those who do not, realizing single moms are solely responsible for the welfare of their families. It’s a lonely job. By helping one another we could create such positive change in the workplace. Women are very powerful together.”
“Alissa’s photography is a gift! When I saw my headshot, I started crying. I haven’t seen myself look that nice for I don’t know how long. Being a single mother and an executive keeps me busy. We can kind of lose ourselves in life becoming so involved in day-to-day things. We forget about our value and who we are.
“Looking at my headshots I thought, ‘There I am. I haven’t seen me in forever!’”
Thank you, Cindy, for sharing your story with us!