“She Believed She Could, So She Did”

This Heartfelt Moment is brought to us by SFCH Housekeeper Andreea Slemmons. Andreea has only been with CHS for five months, but she firmly believes that events in her past—being adopted and in an abusive relationship—have led her to CHS. With the help of good friends, Andreea found strength in herself and now believes she can do anything she sets her mind to and is excited to see where the future will take her.

This is Andreea’s story.

Hello,

I recently started my housekeeping role with CHS back in September. In my short five months of being here, I have met many CHS employees who do amazing things and help people through difficult situations—situations that I had once found myself in.

You see, I was born in 1995 in Bucharest, Romania. I was placed for adoption after birth and remained in the orphanage until October 16, 1999. Even though I was only three and a half, I will never forget the day my adoptive parents picked me up from the orphanage and brought me to the United States.

Growing up in South Dakota was awesome, but I always knew I wanted something more. When I was 19, I decided to give New York City a try, but it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. I fell in love with someone whom I thought loved me, but in reality, he loved putting me down and hurting me.

Lately, I have been reflecting on my past a lot. I think about how different my life was a year ago living in New York City with him. I was scared and uncertain about where life would lead me and how far things would escalate with my partner.

Thankfully, I had people in my corner who emphasized the importance of my safety and mental well-being. I can’t begin to explain how grateful I am for my friends who gave me the strength to move on. They helped me realize my self-worth and assisted me in packing up eight years of my life in New York and moving back to South Dakota. They connected with Shannon Clark, which is how I heard about the open housekeeping position at CHS. Through their support, I was also able to accomplish one of my lifelong dreams of becoming a United States citizen—February 16, 2024.

I’m so grateful for how far I’ve come, but I don't necessarily have any regrets because I believe my past led me to CHS. The people I have met here, have made me realize I want to give back and help others too—the same way people helped me. I have been tossing around the idea of going back to school to get my Behavioral and Mental Health degree so that I can become a therapist.

A side note about myself, since living in New York I have been wearing this ring with one of my favorite quotes, “She believed she could, so she did.” The ring became my physical reminder that I could conquer anything, and the saying became my mantra. Recently, I was cleaning a therapist’s office in the Van Demark building and thinking about the possibility of going back to school.

"Could I do this? Could I help others?" I thought to myself.

But as I put her garbage can back down under her desk, I looked up and noticed a sign on the wall reading, “She believed she could, so she did.”

A shiver went down my spine and I knew it was a sign from the universe.

Today, I am happy to share with you that I have officially applied for the Behavioral and Mental Health program at Southeast Technical College. Hopefully, this message can inspire others to believe in themselves and show them that no matter what happens in your past, you can always dream for something better in your future.

Best,

-Andreea Slemmons

After only a few weeks of being in the United States, Andreea experienced her first Halloween as Tinker Bell with her new family. From left to right: Andreea’s adoptive mom, Pamela; her adoptive sister, Zoe and her grandma Doretta.