(1) Evolution and Professions

 

Cee Cee Weight: Origins and Inspirations

I met my best friend, Cee Cee, in college 30 years ago. We were both attending a church school in a small Idaho town, but Cee Cee stood out. She was Filipino and one of the few people of color in our college community. I had grown up in Denver, Colorado, in a place with little diversity, and my life followed a very traditional path. I married into a large Mormon family where the expectations for women were clear: stay home, raise children, and support the family. Graduating from college was encouraged, but a career was never something I seriously considered. I never imagined having a job.

Meeting Cee Cee changed everything. Even while I was still in my marriage and not working, she opened my eyes to a different way of thinking and living. After my divorce, which ended an 18-year marriage, I felt completely lost. I had no work experience and no idea how to support myself. The idea of having a career was overwhelming—it had never been part of how I was raised. But Cee Cee and her mom were always there for me. They constantly offered encouragement and ideas, even when I didn’t believe in myself. One night, during a conversation with them, I realized I could go back to school. That moment led me to enroll in a master’s program in Special Education—one of the most important decisions I’ve ever made.

Cee Cee isn’t in the communications field, but she and her story are the reason I’ve been able to work and rebuild my life. Her mom came to the U.S. from the Philippines with very few options, but she was educated and never questioned whether she would work. She passed that mindset on to Cee Cee, and Cee Cee passed it on to me. Their influence helped me find a new path—one built on work, growth, and self-reliance. I’m grateful every day for their inspiration and the deep friendship that helped me start over.

I asked Cee Cee to reflect on three stages of her career, starting with the beginning—when she first started thinking about having a career and what shaped that early thinking.

Cee Cee's thoughts~
"I started thinking about a career when I was young. My parents were immigrants, and my mom was educated. That education opened doors for her when she came to the U.S. in the late 1960s. Growing up, she always emphasized the importance of education and having a fulfilling career.

Because my mom was a teacher, that was the first career I ever saw modeled. From an early age, she would tell me, "You need to be a teacher, you need to be a teacher." Her voice really stayed with me and I began to imagine myself in that role. This goal and the idea that I could be successful compelled me to pursue a bachelors degree after graduating from high school and formed the foundation of my college years."