'One day at a time': Holland woman hopes to encourage others struggling with mental illness
HOLLAND — The last 15 years have brought plenty of ups and downs for Suzanne Kamps.
As far back as 2010, she struggled making ends meet, living off fumes and just getting by. In 2018, she struggled with mental illness, amplified by a miscarriage.
Afterward, it was hard to find a job that fit. She'd quit, then move on to the next.
“My mental illness was just too much for me to be able to handle any job,” Kamps said.
Eventually, she found a job with a local janitorial company and spent two years there —a major milestone.
In February 2023, she found a job at KinderCare. It was exactly what she needed.
“I found success there,” she said. “I really started bonding with the kids and it made me realize that it was my niche.”
Kamps has been with KinderCare Learning Center for just over a year. She recently visited Lansing to celebrate that achievement, meeting State Rep. Nancy DeBoer and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, both of whom acknowledged her hard work and commitment.
She said reaching her one-year anniversary wouldn't have been possible without local mental health resource Lakeside Clubhouse.
“Lakeside Clubhouse really helped me stabilize through the years,” Kamps said.
These days, Kamps and her husband, Scott, both work at KinderCare. She plans to make teaching her career, and hopes to eventually earn her Child Development Associate Credential and become a lead.
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“Right now, I’m an assistant teacher," she said. "I’m learning and watching lead teachers set up curriculums and how they do their rooms. It keeps me learning, and I find that I really love working with the kids.”
Despite the challenges she's faced, Kamps wants to be a positive example for others.
"I believe that if I can do it, anybody can," Kamps said. "You just have to take it one day at a time."
— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: 'One day at a time': Holland woman hopes to encourage others struggling with mental illness
