Thank you for supporting women in Kansas City, like Leah

Leah’s Story

Before coming to the Women's Employment Network (WEN), I was delivering for Uber Eats 
while endlessly applying for jobs online. After being  laid off and spending two years as a stay-at-home  mom, I began to wonder if I was simply unemployable.

I often passed WEN during my deliveries and felt drawn to learn more. One day, I signed up for a workshop. When I arrived, Tonia welcomed me and invited me to join the Three Pillars to Success program. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I knew I needed to try something different. So I said yes.

That decision changed how I saw myself and my future.

Through workshops on networking, LinkedIn, AI, resume writing, and interviewing, I gained practical skills to navigate today's job market. But what surprised me most was how much I learned about myself.

I had spent two years focused on raising my son, healing, and finding balance after losing my job. Somewhere along the way, I had pushed aside the professional part of myself. I was afraid of returning to a career that would consume my life rather than support the life I wanted to build.

As I updated my resume and reflected on my professional experiences, something clicked. I realized I had been running away from my greatest strengths: leading and connecting with people.

I wasn't unemployable. I had valuable experience, skills, and accomplishments worth celebrating.

WEN helped me rediscover that part of myself and recognize that I don't have to choose between being a devoted mother and pursuing a meaningful career.

I'm especially grateful to Tonia for inviting me into the program, to the staff and volunteers who encouraged me, and to the incredible women who shared this journey.

I came to WEN looking for employment opportunities. I left with something equally important: renewed confidence, a stronger sense of purpose, and excitement about my future.

Thank you, WEN, for helping me reconnect with the part of myself I thought I'd left behind.

UPDATE as of 10/27/26 - Leah accepted a full-time position with benefits as a personal banker.