Don't Worry About Things that are Temporary - by Jessica Hunt

My name is Jessica, and I am 36 years old. I grew up in the Hoosier state of Indiana. I was diagnosed with Turner syndrome (TS) in 2009 at the age of 22 (senior year of college) and was about the graduate from college at Northwestern University. I have mosaic TS. Because I learned of my diagnosis at an older age, I did not have the choice to take growth hormones.
I have my master’s in social work and am currently working at a church as an office assistant. I enjoy reading, writing, singing, and dancing. I also really enjoy working with children and youth. There are several things I am proud of. I would say that I most proud of graduating with my master’s in social work in 2013. It was a challenging 2 years of course work, internships, and working part-time.
I was challenged in my understanding of how to relate to people and I am grateful for the ways it humbled me. I learned a lot that has stuck with me as I continue to grow in the field of social work.
There are so many people that have inspired me through the years that are too hard to count. Still, my mom has always been my biggest supporter and advocate, no matter what. She has inspired me to always respect others and to not settle for less.
I have had to overcome several challenges. I have been a substitute teacher in the past and it was a struggle for some of them to take me seriously or understand that I am an adult and not a child like them. I tried to use humor at times to address this, or I would make the students answer a math problem related to my age. Some mild anxiety and depression have been struggles off and on, and I have sought counseling in the past. From that, I have also become a counselor and worked to help others with their mental health issues. Also, my Christian faith has helped me to find peace and strength and it has also reminded me of what is most important, and I have always been encouraged by attending church worship.
The advice I would give my younger self is to not be so worried about striving and achieving. Those things (like appearance, degrees, employment, etc.) are only temporary.