Finding happiness

By Rebecca Bell

When Melissa Zenger's infant daughter passed away, she felt as if her life had ended as well, and she sank into a deep depression. Thanks to counseling, her faith and the desire to help her fellow human, she is not working as a case manager for the federally funded Pathways out of Poverty program.

Zenger and her colleagues help homeless West Texans, displaced workers and people with criminal backgrounds "get their feet back on the ground." The Pathways out of Poverty program is administered by the Permian Basin Regional Planning Commission (PBRPC). Its goal is to train people for careers in renewable energy and "green" industries. The two-year grant began in January 2010, and so far, over 130 people from throughout the Permian Basin have gone through the training and obtained jobs. Midland College received a portion of this grant from the PBRPC, which allowed the college to offer short-term training in the heating and air conditioning industry with a focus on green and environmentally sustainable pathways.

Zenger, who graduated from Midland College's (MC) Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling (ADAC) program this past May, says, "Since this is a grant program that will expire in January 2012, I realized when I accepted the position that it was just temporary. However, I'm getting great case management experience, which is definitely something I will need when I continue my career as a counselor."

Although Zenger's responsibilities do not include counseling, she does see clients and ensures that they are getting the assistance they need to succeed in their new "green energy" jobs. "We are able to provide assistance with transportation, living expenses, and so forth until they get their first pay check or two," state Zenger. "These people need to feel ike they have a chance to succeed, and I want to be able to provide them with the tools they need to be contributing members of society."

Because Zenger has experience working in the human resources field, she also teaches employability classes to the program's clients. "A lot of these people have no idea how to complete a job application, prepare a resume and conduct oneself in a job interview," she explains. "I am able to help them with these things as well."

Upon visiting with Melissa Zenger, it is easy to come to the conclusion that she will make a great counselor. Her calm, soft-spoken manner immediately puts one at ease. Her ultimate goal is to get a Master's degree in psychology, but life experiences have given her the strength to take one day at a time. She says, "All I know is that I want to be in the helping industry. My degree from Midland College is a step in that direction."

The 33-year-old wife and mother of two graduate from Odessa High School in 1996 and started attending Odessa College, where she took a few ADAC classes. However, she states, "I was really too young to be in a counseling program at the time." Zenger moved to California where she worked for an employment agency for three years. After returning to West Texas, she worked as director of career services at Southeastern Career Institute and then in the human resources department of Regency Hospital in Odessa.

After the death of her child, Zenger says, "Grief took over; I felt desperate in my heart. Counselors helped me through the grieving process. It was after this that I found my way to the ADAC program at Midland College. I investigated several counseling programs in the area, but I found that Chesly Herd [ADAC program director at MC] was open, friendly and able to answer all my questions. Even though I live in Odessa, I decided to make the 20-mile drive each day. It was definitely worth it!"

Zenger also credits her family with helping her during the two years she spent in the ADAC program. "My husband was working in the oil industry and had long hours. We had discussed a career change for him, but he was willing to continue so that I could concentrate on my studies and not have to get a job. My mom and sister would watch the kids in the evenings so that I could get my homework done. There was a time when I wasn't sure I could make it, but my family, along with Chesly and the other students in the program, encouraged me to keep going. At graduation, my mom told me with tears in her eyes, 'I knew you could do it.'"

"There was a time when I felt life was hopeless," says Zenger. "Through counseling and the love of my family I learned to rise above my grief. While not a day goes by that I don't think of my daughter living in heaven, I have learned to be happy once again. School made me happy, and now my work makes me happy. I want to help others find happiness."