My Perfect Millennial Storm

(Photo Credit: The Millennial Spirit, Mount Mary University, June 2016)

By: Veronica Sanchez

I always identified as a millennial both by definition and in spirit (perhaps even before the term existed) —I do not have a problem with the association that this term can bring. I have always craved and searched for constant change and a high need for instant gratification, as my parents simply watched and prayed from the sidelines. They have no idea where I inherit these values that are so different than the boomers and x-ers they know. Little did they know back then ... That a similar and entire generation like me was on the rise, a generation equal in spirit and in values that would come together in the hearts of big cities.

These are the same cities that our parents had left behind for suburbia-two generations ago. In retrospect, I now realize that my wrestlings in life to arrive where I am today came deeply from the fact that I never cared to settle. Perhaps I did envision settlement, but not until I found what I was looking for.  Here is my story  or what I like to call, "My Perfect Millennial Storm."

When one speaks of the perfect storm we define a single day in time and space where time becomes still ...

We find ourselves completely detached between habit and spirit with a huge result of dissatisfaction ... Then BOOM!  Reality explodes in our hands. We reach rock bottom, but it's all an opportunity to start all over again."

Pictured above is the beat up 1995 Chevy Lumina that Veronica Sanchez drove in 2009. She recalls this vehicle as being the trophy car of "The Sanchez Family," providing faithful transportation through some of her biggest moments in life. 

At age 25,  I graduated from Northern Illinois University and took the first job I was offered. My parents are both first generation immigrants with little formal education. The only support they could provide was of that of unconditional love, protection, and a deep desire for me to finally find direction. My mother always brought me and my brother along and made us apart of all possible church activities and social community events. This allowed us  to remain grounded in life by always offer a helping hand to those in need. 

At 29, I left the corporate world searching to “change the world” at a non-for-profit. That meant taking a significant pay cut and a tacking on a longer commute to my morning rush. I was a Case Manager and for most of that time  drove a 1995 Chevy Lumina (in 2009), a homemade low rider with a rear bumper missing and dangling lights.  This car was my spaceship through one of the longest periods of my personal development. 

I managed a caseload of 250 families where I was required to recruit, case management, home visit, and assist low income families with their needs. Here, I had the opportunity to truly fulfill that dream of changing the world and finding excellent peers.

On a personal level, I also had the opportunity to grieve my divorce and recover from various personal affairs. It allowed me to connect with people at a personal level and truly understand the human condition. I learned to value the human connection, which became a core value of mine: to connect with other’s personal story. I also became an excellent psychoanalyst by habit.

On the downside, in six years, I grew too comfortable: lazy perhaps. I tried so many times to leave but it was just so hard to manage the idea of starting all over. I reached a plateau and I hungered for more substance, greater development, and more money. While, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to continue studying, I knew that starting my master's degree would create the change I was seeking.

In six years, I grew too comfortable: lazy perhaps. I tried so many times to leave but it was just so hard to manage the idea of starting all over. Three years into that role, I had already reached a plateau. I hungered for more substance, greater development and more money."

Several years later,  I ventured with the idea of rebranding myself into the field of  Human Resources but I wasn't sure how to make the industry change. I must have re-edited my resume 100 times with the help and guidance of CULTIVATE EXCELLENCE. 

Now, I had to open a LinkedIn account, polish my social media presence, and “re-brand” myself. It was all a new language to me! I took the time to reconnect with old friends, old professors. I felt like an aspiring rock star knocking doors with a guitar on my back. It was as such. I’ll never forget the colleagues who took me in on a short notice lunch request.  For the next two years, I decided that I would no longer commit to a fruitless employer or a place that made me unhappy. I reinvented myself by falling and getting up all over again.

For the next two years, I decided that I would no longer commit to a fruitless employer or a place that made me unhappy. I reinvented myself by falling and getting up all over again.

Thanks to this new journey of career empowerment, I scored two 6-month Human Resource contracts, and then got accepted into a Labor and Employment Master's Program at The University of Illinois-Urbana, which has all lead to where I am now.  I promised myself I would not let fear or limited advice hold me back. I learned through this process, that I no longer wanted to work for an organization that offers poor compensation, does not cater to millennials, or actively invest in their employees. 

Perhaps, I do have an unconditional and extraordinary support system that allowed me to maneuver at this rate at the age of 35. I also, perhaps, have minimal attachments that allowed me to jump in at the rate of my own discretion, but I continuously count on my blessings-- For that is all we can do.  

Today, I still find a need for professional conditioning and leadership development in this new field. Although, this new venture is being delivered at very fast rate, I am incredibly grateful for my current journey with my present manager and her patience. 

"Re-write your own story, all over again, and be happy! It’s not so bad, after all," said this millennial. 

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After a tumultuous journey of more ups and downs than expected, Veronica Sanchez successfully rebranded herself from the non-profit world into Human Resources. Today, Veronica is the Contact Analyst at Mars Incorporated, and is in the process of completing her Master of Arts in Labor and Employment Studies from The University of Illinois-Urbana.