The Time for Change | by Kimberley Waterman

Starting over is never easy, it can actually be quite intimidating. For years I have been around peers who would tell me how I should quit my college job and follow my passions, but I was always fearful. My comfort zone was somewhere I was too scared to leave. 

2019-2020

To give you all my professional background, I am from New York City and graduated from CUNY Brooklyn College with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. I minored in Children & Youth Studies because I planned on ultimately becoming either a Child Psychologist or Guidance Counselor. Post-graduating in May 2019, I worked as a Special Needs Counselor with non-verbal and verbal children under the age of 13 who were on the autism spectrum. I loved my job however, that was unfortunately short-lived due to shutdowns. The COVID-19 pandemic shocked the world and forced me to seriously consider increasing my skill set in other industries.

I began styling the natural hair of family members and peers to create a social media presence geared towards informative content. I have always dabbled in hair care since I was in middle school, this began with me becoming autonomous and trying new styles on myself. As time passed, I became accustomed to maintaining my natural hair, and always offered advice on natural hair maintenance whenever I was asked. I have even helped peers transition from chemically relaxed hair. 

Since we are in the age of social media and individuals are seeking this same advice from strangers online, I decided to enter this creative field. Creating before and after videos of hairstyles I took pride in was fun, and I was able to develop a social media presence. However, I was unaware of the best social media marketing practices to maintain momentum. During this time, I also went back to my job in retail, which made everything feel like a dead-end. 

2021

I often describe 2021 as the worst year of my life. Along with the misfortunes that came along with the COVID pandemic, some of my biggest fears played out. The year initially started off great. I went to Arizona in January to help my grandparents travel back to New York, and I had a lot of fun during that trip. Unfortunately, my grandmother’s health started declining in the following months and she passed away a week after her birthday in April. The night before she passed away, I was in her hospital room playing music from old school soca tunes to Whitney Houston’s greatest hits. I was crushed when I heard the news, she was my number one supporter and it was as if I lost a piece of my heart. I felt like I plummeted to the worst position I have been in my entire life.

I thought that was the worst thing that could happen. This changed a few months later in July when I had a near-fatal accident on my birthday. I was with a few friends on Far Rockaway Beach to celebrate my birthday, but I was not happy and I could not figure out why… so I faked it. I eventually ended up having fun with my friends, but when it was time to leave the beach, I decided to join my friend who went for a ride on one of the two standing motorscooters. I was quite familiar with motor scooters since I have years of experience riding them. Unfortunately, I was not aware of the many potholes on the boardwalk of Far Rockaway Beach. The scooter hit a huge pothole and I went flying over the handlebars. The last thing I remember was riding past my friend. After this, all I can recall are flashes of memories in the ambulance and the emergency room. 

Fortunately, I did not require brain surgery, but I was diagnosed with a subdural hematoma, subarachnoid hemorrhage, a concussion, and a few physical scars. I was in the ICU for my birthday weekend, but I survived and I am grateful for that. The year was already stressful, so my road to recovery was extremely emotional. Honestly, I am probably still recovering, but I am living the life that I value so much now.

As you were reading this, you were probably waiting for a happy ending for 2021 and well… so was I. 

Fast forward to December of 2021, the month that made me look at life differently. My grandfather, who was married to my grandmother for 59 years, passed away the Wednesday before Christmas. Two loved ones who I have known my entire life were no longer here with me in a matter of months. This time I was prepared for this loss – I saw his decline in health along with the loss of his wife taking a toll on him over the months. What was extremely unfortunate was that I was already numb by the time that Wednesday came, because just that past Sunday and Monday of the same week, two of my peers passed away by suicide. So with three deaths during the week of Christmas, my accident, the loss of my Grandparents, and a few crumbled friendships under my belt… it is safe to say that the year 2021 was too much for me to comprehend.

2022

The following year I was in despair, but I am grateful for how much closer myself and my family have become. This strong foundation reminded me that I can do anything… and with remembering my grandmother telling me how much she wanted the best for me, I had to keep her faith alive. So when I saw a peer’s post on Facebook about the applications for the Apprenticeship program at Google being open, I jumped at the opportunity. You see, as previously mentioned, leaving my comfort zone was a task that I was fearful of – but after the mental anguish caused by the isolation of the pandemic and the loss of loved ones, something had to change.

I was so drained of the circumstances that I was in, the change needed to happen now. So I applied, took some time away from the city, and for the first time in my life I quit my job without a backup plan. It was a scary decision to make, but at that point, I was drained and extremely unhappy with my job and career path. The conclusion was that I needed to leave, and when I made that decision to not go back, everything changed for the better.

My application process moved forward just two weeks after quitting my job. In a matter of three months, I went from working retail to signing my offer letter for Google. It took about six months for me to fully comprehend that I am now working at a company whose products I have been using practically my entire life.

2023

Fast forward to today and I feel unstoppable! New chapters of my life are currently being written and I am excited for the future. I did not understand the importance of networking in college. I went to a commuter school, so it was easy to go to class and then hurry home during breaks. I engaged with others but lacked the ability to network with a purpose. I definitely did not understand the importance of networking. Thankfully, this apprenticeship program is giving me the chance to try again and I am seizing the opportunity.

I am now embracing my professional self. I am sitting in rooms I never imagined two years ago, and traveling across the country to network in person with members of my team who are located abroad. This is only the beginning, and I look forward to the future chapters of my story. I am loving this rebrand as I am becoming “The Traveling Apprentice”.

One thing that I have learned along the way is that although it may seem as if everything is crumbling when it is time to start a new chapter… remember the popular saying “Out of the concrete, a rose grew”. 

Kimberley Waterman is a Digital Marketing Apprentice at Multiverse based in New York City, US. She is writing from the Apprentice Lens as part of the Blogging Team. Here’s more about her:

"Hello, my name is Kimberley and I am a Digital Marketing Apprentice in the 2022 cohort at Google in New York City. I am a part of a partner-facing team and am conquering my introverted fears. I am excited to express myself with the help of the blogging team, and to further exercise my creative writing skills. I cannot wait to inspire others to leap out of their comfort zones and witness the impact of my writing. I hope you all enjoy it!"