Esther Serrano

I attribute my success to my commitment to the community, to myself, and to my family. My achievement is representing resilience, growth, recovery, and the courage to turn pain into purpose. Considering my past challenges of being in a shelter with my family and not really having a career at that time, to where I'm at today, I would say my commitment has been key. I don't think I would be where I'm at today if it wasn't for my employer, Thriving Mind, who believed in me and provided support. They're very supportive of me and all of us there. Right now, in my role, this is a master's level role and I don't have a master's level, but they believed in me, and I received the support from my community. I'm resilient, and I continue moving forward despite challenges like my panic disorder and past comments I've received. The reason I do what I do is not forgetting my why and why this matters, because it resonates with my own life experiences.

I would say never underestimate the power of your voice. Your compassion or your lived experience, the qualities that may once have made you feel different or vulnerable, can become the very things that help others heal and feel understood. This is important in the meaningful work that we do, but it can also be very emotionally demanding. Do not let fear, or self-doubt, or anyone else make you feel less capable.

One of the challenges I face is when a family is going through a crisis while balancing limited resources, and not being able to find another direction for them or another resource. There are so many services here in Miami-Dade County, but at the same time, there are so many families in need that it's challenging to be able to give each and every one what they need. The most challenging thing for me is being okay with giving my all, and there's no more to give, there's no more we can do, and disconnecting, but continuing to provide the support to the best way that I possibly can. Breaking the stigma is a challenge I have every day surrounding mental health. While advocating for compassionate, recovery-oriented care, it's really hard, with many individuals struggling silently due to the fear or the shame that someone's going to say a little remark. I have a panic disorder, and sometimes I get really nervous with public speaking or having meetings, and I do that very often. Little comments that I've received in the past still affect me, but yet again, I'm resilient, and I continue moving forward.

My values are seeing those for who they are. I believe that people can heal and rebuild their lives. Family stability is important to me, creating a safe, loving, and stable future for their children and those who they care about. I believe that empathy is very important, and I have too much empathy sometimes, but being empathetic and supporting others without judgment, and putting yourself in their shoes, is helpful. Service to others is a value I hold, dedicating your work to support and help individuals. Being open about your journey as a peer, or being transparent to inspire others, is really important as well. Compassion and showing kindness, even while you're carrying your own burdens, is important sometimes to be able to put that aside and have that compassion and demonstrate it. I value relationships and collaboration. Making people feel seen and heard is one of my values as well.