JP Alumni Fellow Story: Dana Smith
JP Alumni Fellow Dana Smith was underestimated as a young professional. Today, the marketing executive encourages other women to persist past the naysayers.
The 2023-2024 Jeremiah Program Alumni Fellows, each many years removed from their time as JP moms, are using their experiences, expertise, and stories to advocate for other single moms and their families. This is Dana Smith’s story.
I was halfway through my college career at the University of St. Thomas when I unexpectedly found myself navigating a challenging journey of single motherhood while pursuing my dreams of earning a college degree. Despite facing numerous obstacles, I was fueled by the determination to provide a better future for myself and my son. While balancing the demands of coursework, part-time employment, and raising my son, I struggled to manage my time effectively, often sacrificing sleep and personal time to fulfill my responsibilities as both a student and a mother.
I graduated from college and fulfilled my dream of earning a degree, despite feeling that the odds were stacked against me. I landed a full-time professional job, equipped with the skills and confidence to build a successful career as I entered the workforce.
As my career grew over the next couple of years, I felt overlooked for opportunities for growth despite my efforts to prove myself. Doubt crept into my mind as I began to question my abilities and worth in the workplace. My career journey was met with criticism and discouragement from female colleagues and managers, who implied that I wouldn’t advance in my career and should be okay with staying in an assistant role. I was determined to pursue career advancement despite facing this skepticism and negativity from others.
Even with the negativity surrounding me, I refused to give up. I sought out a new employer that had healthy female leadership and found female mentors and allies within that company who believed in my potential and offered support and guidance. I dedicated myself to learning new skills and taking on challenging projects, determined to prove wrong those who didn’t believe in me. I wanted to demonstrate to my children the values of perseverance and resilience.
I want to encourage young moms to believe in themselves and pursue their goals, regardless of the doubts they may face.
As I continued to excel in my work and demonstrate value to the company, my efforts started to pay off. I received recognition for my contributions and was entrusted with more responsibilities. I went from manager to director to my current role as Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, and with each promotion, I wanted to show that hard work, perseverance, and self-belief can overcome skepticism. Even if self-doubt creeps in at times, instead of giving in to self-doubt, I use the criticism as a catalyst for self-improvement.
My son, who was in Jeremiah Program, is now a sophomore at Iowa State University studying finance and business analytics. I have a daughter who is graduating high school and looking at different colleges right now, and my youngest is a freshman in high school and is looking forward to college down the road.
I want to serve as an inspiration to other young mothers who strive for professional careers while facing similar challenges and encourage young moms to believe in themselves and pursue their goals, regardless of the doubts they may face.
I am forever grateful for the support of the Jeremiah Program and those who believed in me, and I seek to pay it forward by mentoring others.
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