The Price of Peace of Mind, Part I: The Cost of Worry

The Stephany June Bryan Bold Spirit of Achievement scholarships were begun in 2022 in honor of Stephany (1956-2021), the late Hogg Foundation senior program officer and consumer and family liaison.

These scholarships provide $5000 in unrestricted funds to persons with a mental health challenge and/or caring for a person with a mental health challenge currently pursuing advanced education or training. Stephany Bryan’s passion for education, despite mental health challenges and financial barriers, defined her life and work for the Hogg Foundation, and these scholarships honor that commitment.

Joining us on the podcast today is Ciara Garcia, a 2026 recipient of the Stephany June Bryan Scholarship. Ciara is a mother of four and a student pursuing a career in mental health. Her path through higher education has been shaped by caregiving, work, financial pressures, and her own lived experience with mental health challenges. After returning to school at Blinn College, she has continued her studies at Texas A&M University with the goal of becoming a mental health professional.

The Challenge of Finding Balance

The challenges of balancing parenthood, education, work, and one’s own mental health can be daunting at any age. As a single teen mother, however, navigating those challenges and making life choices is especially difficult.

Ciara’s first child was born when she was 16, and she was pregnant with her second when she graduated from high school. By the time she was 21, she had four children. At times, Ciara worked two or three jobs at minimum wage to provide for her family.

“Managing life with my kids was really hard. I was on a survival instinct,” says Ciara. “I very much just had to live every day trying to make sure that they were okay. There were times that I fed them, and I didn’t eat, or I was rationing food to make sure that my kids were taken care of.”

But the costs she faced weren’t just financial. The demands on her time, energy, and emotional resources were also demanding. And her financial insecurity also narrowed the opportunities available to her, including continuing her education.

“My education was put to the side because I was more worried about getting them to school, putting them in extracurricular activities and so on. I didn’t make the time for myself because they were my priority,” says Ciara.

Struggling financially also meant that stability was out of reach.

“Uncertainty was a constant part of my experience. There were times I didn’t know if I was going to be able to make a car payment. There were times I’d have to cancel my car insurance and I’d end up getting a ticket for not having insurance coverage,” says Ciara. “I had to keep that ‘Oh, well…’ mentality to keep peace of mind. I had to brush it under the rug a lot. So, the feeling of uncertainty was a huge struggle for me back then.”

Taking the Next Step

“After my son graduated in 2020 and my oldest daughter graduated in 2022, I wanted more,” says Ciara. “I decided I wanted to go back to school. I wanted to get a higher education. I’ve. It has always been a dream of mine.”

After talking with colleagues and evaluating career options, Ciara decided to pursue an education a licensed chemical dependency counselor. And support from family and friends has helped her move beyond her anxiety about returning to school after 20 years.

The night before her first class, her son encouraged her by emphasizing that it was “her time.” She had raised her children, he said, and now it was time for her to achieve what she had always wanted.

“My family has been a huge support. They’re proud of me. They tell me, ‘Keep pushing. You’ve got this’,” says Ciara. “And I have friends who have remained in my corner. They’re like, ‘Hey, you’ve got this. If you ever need anything, let us know.’ My support system has grown, and I appreciate the people who have arraigned in my corner.”

Receiving the Stephany June Bryan Bold Spirit of Achievement Scholarship also played an important role in creating the conditions that made it possible for Ciara to follow her dream.

That gave me huge peace of mind, she says.

Moving Forward

Ciara is passionate about her current work in the mental health field and sees even more possibility ahead.

“I want to pursue my master’s degree and am looking into graduate programs. And I’m also interested in starting a nonprofit to give mental health access to a lot of people,” she says. “I want people to know that their story is never over. I want to try to be there for a lot of people and spread the word that it’s okay to ask for help. You are loved. You need to be here.”

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