Today we’d like to introduce you to Keycha Cruz.
Hi Keycha, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Central Florida. At the age of five, my parents divorced and my brother and I relocated to Florida for my mom to give us a better life in the States. At several stages of development, a part of my innocence was robbed by people I thought I could trust. For years I hid the secrets they had me keep out of fear of rejection and breaking my family’s heart. In return in my teens, I rebelled and started acting out; when I finally exposed the truth, my world would be shaken once again by a second divorce in our family. I felt so much guilt for the sadness my brother and mom felt by this newfound information; I also felt unworthy of using my voice since telling the truth equaled pain for others and shame on me. I was thankful that I found outlets to express the pain and shame I felt through the arts, through singing, dancing, acting, drawing, and humor. So, I began performing in my middle school, then in High School, I was in the theatre magnet program and took classes with the dance department, all while needing to maintain a good enough GPA and three jobs at one time.
I was also involved in youth ministry and used performance as a way to quiet my pain, silence my inner cry, and mask the inner turmoil I felt. But you can’t suppress and avoid pain forever, so the pain and unresolved trauma led to poor decisions, toxic relationships, and deciding to stop out of college and join the army to run away from my reality and to start over somewhere else. My time in the army, though was short-lived, there I was sexually assaulted, harassed, conditioned to push through my pain even further and I was also physically injured while doing field training. I was medically discharged and had to start over once again, with my head low and feeling ashamed of failing. When I returned home, I fell into a deep depression and tried to commit suicide several times. It was an extremely dark time in my life, probably the second darkest time of my life. I used to dance prior to joining the military, and now I couldn’t even do that to the fullness of my abilities due to my physical limitations. I felt that I lost my identity and what was left was an empty shell of who I used to be.
After a year of deep depression and several assessments later, I was diagnosed with mental illness and started receiving the help I needed. I began to pick up the pieces and was able to go back to school and get my Bachelor’s degree in Health Service Administration and started my first professional job in health care.Many ups and downs occurred during that time, especially when I gave my life back to Christ in 2009 but although it has not been easy, it has been the greatest decision I’ve ever made. I now share my testimony of being a survivor of abuse, divorce, advocacy efforts, and my mental health journey as a Christian through my YouTube channel, my blog, Instagram, and coming in August of 2021, a podcast. This podcast will focus on helping people find their passion and begin to pursue the right journey to thrive.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When you start anything, it’s tough, especially when you have to push through on the days that your mind wants to quit or when I’m having a depressive episode. Social media is wonderful but it’s also time-consuming and requires a lot of time and effort, especially at the beginning. There have been times where I lose my footage for my YouTube channel or technical issues with my blog. Not to mention simply maintaining consistency when you work a full-time job, are married and have two daughters who are very involved in extracurriculars, and with me being involved in ministry as well. Still, I do it for the one person, who reaches out and messages me to say how my story has encouraged them in their dark moments, or when I get someone who shares my posts and is inspired by my transparency regarding mental health, Social Justice, DV advocacy and for overcoming obstacles by putting God at the center of my life.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I currently work at UCF as a Student Success Coach. I assist students with the transfer process from different Florida and US colleges and guide them through the transfer process to UCF. I love what I do, from building relationships with students as well as creating presentations and networking with faculty and staff. I have created and facilitated workshops and large events to assist with student success. Furthermore, I am co-founder and co-chair of a new initiative at UCF called ConeXiones. Its primary mission is to help Hispanic transfer students at partner institutions experience a seamless transition to UCF by connecting them with resources tailored to their specific needs achieve academic success through inclusivity and equitable access.
What I am most proud of is that I put students first and advocate for student success, access, and inclusion. I’ve created workshops to increase students’ self-awareness, college safety and promote diversity in the workplace. What sets me apart from others is that I am empathetic and am not afraid to speak up on behalf of my students, even if my voice shakes. I believe that if one has the right people in their corner and are given the right tools, one can succeed in what they put their mind to, and my goal is to help students through the journey of self-awareness, finding their purpose, and making their academic and career goals a reality.
What’s next?
My plan for the future is to move into a new role within higher education in order to expand my reach for student success, equity, and inclusion. I am also looking forward to expanding my reach on my social media platforms to help more survivors of domestic violence, people living with mental health disorders, and Christ-followers who are overcoming life challenges daily through pursuing a relationship with Jesus. I am also excited to co-host our new podcast called Know Your Passion with my sister-in-law Ada Diaz that’s launching this upcoming Fall.
Contact Info:
- Email: keychaslogic@gmail.com and Knowyourpassionpodcast@gmail.com
- Website: https://livingabovethestigma.wordpress.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keychalogic/, @know_your_passion_podcast
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClnZwCG2dfiETZ9tr6McN2A
Image Credits
Pictures in the railroad credit by WC.Media
