At my job as community college instructor, I've got an unusual teaching load since I teach Spanish half time and I teach psychology half time because of my two previous careers and having grown up in Mexico and Uruguay.  You'd think suicide prevention would occur in my psychology classes, but it happened in one of my Spanish classes instead, and I heard the happy ending about it today.

In addition to my full time community college job week days, as I've mentioned here before I have a part time job weekends serving two little churches.  Today an ex-Spanish student of mine showed up at the morning service of one of my little churches.  I hadn't seen her in 2 years, so it was a nice surprise.

The last time I had seen her she as suicidal.  I didn't know it, but she said that she was transitioning as a transgender and had been rejected by transphobic friends and family members.  She told me this after class, and it so happened to be at the day and time that a transgender support group met at one of my little churches in the evening on a week day.

I asked her if she'd accept their support if I put her together with them, and she said yes, so we walked straight from my classroom to my car in the parking lot and I delivered her to that transgender support group.  From then on it was out of my hands, I was just the go between.  After that, she dropped out of school and I just hoped for the best.

Today I found out the story's happy ending.  The transgender support group at my little church did indeed prove to be what she needed to get her through her transition.  When she was back on her feet, she transferred to a four year college in our area and--get this!--went on to major in Spanish, the subject I had taught her!  

She came to church today to look me up to celebrate the fact that she just graduated with her bachelor's degree in Spanish.  Not only that, she has a full time job already as a Spanish translator!

I'm so proud of her both as a support group member and a Spanish instructor that I wanted to share her happy ending.  Since I'm retiring to Mexico next year and she speaks Spanish, I told her to come visit me in Mexico next year, too.  It was great to have her visit me this morning with such good news.

Support groups can really do miracles, can't they?