Success is Subjective: Helping parents of college students accept that dropping out is okay

Episode 56 - The Importance in Finding What You Love to Do —with Kelly Dunbar

April 06, 2021 Joanna Lilley, MA, NCC Season 1 Episode 56
Success is Subjective: Helping parents of college students accept that dropping out is okay
Episode 56 - The Importance in Finding What You Love to Do —with Kelly Dunbar
Show Notes

Usually a career turns into something that consumes a big chunk of one’s time and entire life. Whatever you choose to pursue, ask yourself, is this something that I love enough to spend that much time doing?

Kelly Dunbar, Director of Business Development at SUWS of the Carolinas, surely found a career that she finds joy in. Her career journey got  interrupted more than once in college by lack of support, finances, and growing a family. Kelly didn’t let any of that stop her from returning to college at 30 to continue pursuing her passion in the therapeutic field. She now has over 30 years of professional experience in assisting families and students in residential settings and applies her wealth of knowledge at SUWS of the Carolinas.

On this episode of Success is Subjective, Kelly joins Joanna to share her journey going from extremely poor and struggling to make college work, to earning a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Human Behavior. Kelly’s journey wasn’t easy but she preserved and made sure that she prioritized what she finds true joy in. Listen in for Kelly’s insight on how important it is to prioritize finding something you love to do and not settling for anything less.

What You Will Learn

  • Growing up without an education support system
  • In her early college years, she experienced food insecurity, so she dropped out of college to ensure she had money to eat. 
  • Although she didn’t restart college until she was 30, she has been working in therapeutic schools and programs for a long time! 
  • College isn’t going anywhere, and it will open doors for you when you’re ready for it
  • She talks to parents daily about wilderness therapy
  • She’s still going back to school and constantly learning!  What better time than now! 
  • The importance of doing what you truly love because you’ll find a lot of your time spent doing it

Connect with Kelly Dunbar

Connect with Joanna Lilley