Central to EleVen’s values is a core tenant:
“The best is just a moment. Better is eternal.” To celebrate the spirit of “better” in honor of Women’s History Month, we’re profiling inspiring women in the EleVen community about personal motivation, challenges, and everything in between. Each of these women reflect EleVen’s core values: Excellence, Teamwork, Entrepreneurship, Generosity, Integrity, and Wellness. From artists to scientists, nurses to corporate execs, these women embody growth and renewal amidst the honest realities of living life in 2021.
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EleVen Core Value: Generosity
Jesica Drayton
Occupation: Registered Nurse at Augusta University Medical Center in the Shock Trauma ICU
Age: 32
Current locale: Augusta, Georgia
Via: Augusta, Georgia and Washington, D.C.
Follow her: Instagram / Facebook
Q. What motivates you?
I’m very close to my parents and sisters and they’re a constant reminder of how far hard work can take you. My parents started a business on their own when I was a child and I’m so inspired by all that they’ve accomplished. I want to be able to pass these lessons on to children of my own one day.
Q. What are you most proud of?
Taking the leap and joining the medical field. I was so afraid that I wouldn’t be able to handle it, or that I wouldn’t be smart enough. I’m constantly surprised by how well I’ve adapted to this job.
Q. Have you made any career pivots?
I transitioned from the events and hospitality industry into the medical field. I was unhappy with my job and desperate to feel like I was doing ‘more.’ Nursing was a career that I had wanted to pursue when I was younger but I ended up taking a different direction. Making this change has been so hard but so fruitful. I’ve learned what it means to be compassionate beyond a textbook definition. I’ve gone through so many emotions during this change but at the end of the day I’m so thankful for this journey.
Q. What’s a personal challenge you’ve endured?
A lot of people don’t exactly get why I would leave such a ‘glamorous’ career to become a nurse. I always find it hard to put into words, but at the end of the day, my peace of mind and overall happiness is worth much more than what looks trendier on paper.
I’d sold myself this lie that to be successful I had to live in a big city and I had to have an ‘Instagramable’ job in order to be happy. I was miserable. My last year in Washington D.C. I pretty much only left my apartment for work and it took all of my courage every day to do so. I felt like I was living a life that wasn’t my own because all of my goals were directed at making other people happy or gaining the approval of others. Telling my friends that I was moving back home to my parents so that I could go back to school was gut-wrenching. In my head I could hear them all calling me a loser behind my back. It took me a while to realize that my real friends only wanted what was best for me. They supported me and encouraged me to live my best life no matter what that looked like. I had put so much stock into what other people thought of me, but I was the one that was creating all of these harsh judgements and opinions based on my own insecurities. Learning how to live for myself has been my biggest challenge.
Q. What do you appreciate about where you are in life right now?
Peace. It’s taken a long time for me to get here. I’ve always been extremely burdened by the weight of other people’s expectations. I’ve had to learn the hard way that you can’t be perfect in everyone’s eyes. Learning how to live in peace has opened up so many opportunities for me and I cherish that.
Q. Any mantras you live by?
Live your best life because no one else is going to do it for you!
Q. How do you find your eleventh gear?
I’ve recently started setting aside 10-15 minutes a day for prayer or meditation. I’ve found that taking time every day to practice the art of mindfulness prepares me for the day. During stressful times I practice that same inner focus so that I can perform to the best of my ability.
Written by: Emily Schwartz
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