Life Map

Birth and Becoming a Sister

Birth and Sisterhood

I was born to John and Lynn Alessi in Pueblo, Colorado, on December 18th, 1992. I have a younger brother named Jonathan, and we are 18 months apart. We have always been very close, even though we are complete opposites. My parents have been married for 29 years.

Micro: My family is part of my microsystem.

Indiana: 3-22

Indiana

When I was three years old, my dad found a job in Indiana offering to pay off his student loans if he worked in a rural area for at least five years. He accepted, and my family moved from Colorado to a small town in southern Indiana called Columbus.

Living in rural Indiana meant that I grew up in a bubble of conservative views and ideas. I didn't start to question these ideas until much later in my life. I believe living in this environment also shaped my belief that most people are good. In my small town, nobody ever locked their doors, everyone said "hello" to each other, and I was never taught that I should be wary of people. Although I am more cautious now, I still tend to give people the benefit of the doubt.

Exo: This event is an example of my exosystem because my dad's job caused us to move. I did not have direct contact with his career regularly, but it affected my life outcomes.

Catholic School: 5-14

Catholic School

I attended the same Catholic school from kindergarten to 8th grade (ages 5-14). It was a small school, and I went through all nine grade levels with the same cohort of children. This consistency created a sense of safety in my life.

Attending Catholic school also reinforced the conservative beliefs that are already so strong in Indiana. Students were encouraged to go on pro-life marches, and sex education was the abstinence-only model, etc.

Meso: Attending Catholic school was part of my mesosystem.

Mom's Surgeries - Age 12

Mom's Surgeries

In the winter of 2005, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and a brain tumor. She had two major surgeries within a couple months of eachother. This was an extremely hard time for my mom, and she became very depressed. I did not understand the severity of the surgeries. My parents wanted to protect us by not telling us very much. The depression piece was hard on me because it felt like my mom had changed overnight, and I didn't understand what was happening.

Micro: This event was part of my microsystem because my mom is part of my immediate family, and her surgery changed our home life.

I don't have any pictures of my mom from that time, but these are recent pictures of us.

High School: 14-18

High School

I played soccer in high school, and it was a significant part of my identity. I made the varsity team my freshman year, and we went on to place second in the state championship my senior year. The team is where I made the majority of my friends. I think soccer played a major role in shaping my work ethic, and ability to work well in teams.

During this time, I also started seeing my first counselor who diagnosed me with depression. This was the beginning of a long and bumpy mental health journey.

Meso: High school soccer and my first counselor were were part of my mesosystem.

College - Round 1: 18-22

College

College was a tough time for me. I was struggling with many mental health issues, including depression, self-harm, and substance use disorder. I was also participating in toxic relationships, which exacerbated the other issues. I could not maintain friendships or my school work, and I was eventually asked to leave my first university due to poor academic performance.

Macro: This event was part of my macrosystem because this was a large university. Therefore, although it was my school, individuals higher up in the school system that I never interacted with were making decisions that affected my life path.

Recovery - 22

I think a picture is worth a thousand words. The first picture is me about a month before entering recovery. The second is couple of months ago. I can see the heaviness in my eyes in the first picture. I also just look so much healthier now than I did then.

Recovery

On June 13, 2015, I came to Arizona to attend treatment for my mental health issues. This day, my sobriety date, was the beginning of a brand new life. It was here that I discovered the recovery community and 12-step programs.

Recovery has given me "a life beyond my wildest dreams." I am so grateful for the dark parts of my story because they have given me the greatest gift. I am now able to help others in a way only possible through shared experiences and feelings. I have developed deep senses of humility and empathy, which will make me a better social worker.

Meso and Macro: The 12-step program I attend is part of both my macrosystem and mesosystem. The local group I attend is part of my mesosystem because I see them weekly, and they are part of my daily life. However, the program itself is part of my macrosystem because it is an international organization formed by millions of people.

This is my family and me at my five-year anniversary last summer.

Marriage and Family: 23-Present

Marriage & Family

One year after I entered recovery, in July 2016, I met my now-husband, Brian. We dated for about eight months before we decided to move in together. One month after we moved in together, we found out we were pregnant with our daughter. The pregnancy was unplanned, and although it has turned out to be one of the biggest blessings in my life, it was scary at the time. I also had to do some grief work on "losing" the life I had planned for myself. This work was helpful to really be able to step in to the new life I had gained with full force.

Lucy Charlotte Provost was born Janurary 12, 2018. Brian and I were married in November 2019, right before Lucy turned two. Becoming a wife and mom has naturally caused some of the most significant personal growth in my life. It has pushed me in ways that I didn't know were possible. I want to provide the best life for my daughter, and I know that I have to continue working on myself, taking care of my mental health, and showing up with integrity in my marriage and other relationships.

Micro: Meeting my husband, having my daughter, and getting married are all part of my microsystem.

ASU Graduation - 24

Graduated from ASU

In December 2018, I graduated with my B.S. in Communication summa cum laude from ASU. This was a massive accomplishment as school was always the most significant hurdle while dealing with my mental health issues. Before getting healthy, passing my classes seemed impossible, let alone passing with honors. I also had my daughter earlier that year and was able to do it all with a new baby at home. This was all the product of recovery and working with professionals in the mental health community.

Although I had always questioned the rigidity in conservative values, my undergraduate degree was where I started to learn about social justice, politics and harness my own beliefs. I took women's study classes where I learned about feminism, racism, sexism, intersections, and white privilege. In addition to those classes, I was attending school during the 2016 election. The election also opened my eyes to the rampant racism and bigotry in our country. These two factors coupled together inspired me to do more research on social justice and have significantly altered the way I see the world. All of these experiences have built my passion for social work practice.

Meso: ASU is part of my mesosystem.

Now - 28

Now

I am currently the mom of a beautiful, fiery, and sassy "threenager." My husband and I are both in school. He is attending nursing school at Yavapai College, and I am working towards my MSW at ASU. My parents moved here from Indiana two years ago to be close to their only grandchild. My mom helps us a lot with childcare during this chaotic time. Lucy also attends an amazing childcare center at Yavapai College during the week. We have amazing neighbors who we have been spending a lot of time with during the pandemic. They also have children. I also continue to attend 12-step meetings and participate in sponsorship to maintain my recovery.

While working on this project, I have learned that my experiences do not happen in a vaccum. There are many different influences working through my life at any given moment. I have mostly thought of my experiences being things that were soley my responsibility, but that is not always the case. I am a product of systems just like everyone else.

Micro, Meso, and Exo: My family, parents, and neighbors are all part of my microsystem because I see them daily. 12-step meetings are part of my mesosystem. Lucy's school is part of my exosystem.