Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooke Levin.
Hi Brooke, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story starts out very non-chaotic and simple. I grew up in a small town in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with my mom and dad and no siblings. Growing up I was very much privileged and even spoiled, being an only child. However, that did not make my life a breeze. I grew up in a very toxic environment, my father suffered from various mental disorders and it left me and my mom in a weird space. For most of my life, I thought it was a normal household, because my mom stayed with my dad, and I assumed this was how all family units ran. When I got to High School, my class had around 1000 kids, and the diversity was overwhelming at first. I applied to transfer to a smaller school but ultimately decided against that. A couple of months into my freshmen year I began passing out in the middle of class, and embarrassingly being wheel-chaired to the nurse, almost every other day.
Eventually, I was taken to a psychiatrist where I was diagnosed with ADD and Panic Disorder/Generalized Anxiety. I was medicated at the age of 14, which had challenges within itself. When it came down to deciding where I wanted to go for college, it was very simple for me… as far as I could go. I had a friend who went to FAU and told me to tour the campus. When I came down to Boca to visit, I fell head over heels. It was perfect. My first semester I was on my own, not knowing anyone. I joined a sorority and made friends through that and my roommates, but adjusting was difficult for me at first. My therapist and psychiatrist were up in Pennsylvania, which gave me more anxiety. I was a Biology major, which also gave me major anxiety. I still was not even completely sure what I wanted to do for the rest of my life yet! I mean, how could you know at 18, really? It was not until my Junior year of college I had a random roommate, who was also an only child, but a few years older than me, who had been through similar experiences as me, who really opened my eyes to growth naturally, I learned that anxiety should be fighting with me and not against me, and since then I have grown and learned a tremendous amount about life and anxiety.
I started becoming the person that my friends would go to for advice on how to deal with anxiety, and that truly gave me a purpose. I ended up switching my major to Exercise Science and Health Promotion and loving every minute of it. However, when I graduated, I still had no clue what career I wanted to do with it. At the same time, I had best friend break up and a relationship break up. I began to go into a depressed state and dissociated from myself. I figured, if I was not really here on Earth, I did not need to find a job and figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I then decided it was best for me to move home with my parents back in Pennsylvania. Moving home, I remembered how backward my childhood really was and it was truly challenging to live at home. I soon got a job as a substitute teacher so I could get out of the house. But then the pandemic hit, which was really, almost traumatic being stuck in my house, I felt like I was taking 10 steps backward. So I got a job at a grocery store because it was the only thing open during the pandemic. I truly never thought I would see myself bagging groceries, but there I was. I was out of the house and socializing, which was good enough for me.
After the pandemic, I decided I wanted to teach full-time, so I ended up moving back down to Florida and becoming a 7th Grade Science Teacher, which is what I am currently doing. I am going on my second year this coming August. My first year was very, very challenging me. I have always been passionate about science because I am a naturally curious person, but lately, I have been exploring other industries. I had to the opportunity to work as a Production Assistant on an upcoming Netflix show this Fall, and at the Tony’s. I have always been crazy about the film industry and vlogging. My hobby is vlogging and editing on premiere pro. I am newly exploring with Youtube and hope to make a career out of my ultimate passion one day. I worked on producing a podcast with one of my best friends, and overall I am just enjoying the ride of life. I may not know what is set for my future, but I am understanding that it is okay, that you do not have to know right now.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I believe that if the road is smooth then a person needs a reality check, lol. My roads been slightly bumpy as detailed in my story, but I know there are people who have suffered greater amounts. Dealing with anxiety, ADD and depression make life a grand deal harder than it needs to be, but it also makes life beautiful, because I get to learn new things everyday and help other people through my experiences.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am currently a 7th Grade Science teacher, I am going into my second year teaching. I am in my master’s now to be certified in 6-12 Biology as well. I have an advantage as a young teacher that I can relate to my students more and they are very drawn to be and we have a mutual respect and understanding with each other at the end of the day. I am very proud of my kindness and patience with my students, because being a teacher right now, is not an easy task.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite memory from childhood was easily being on the Mickey Mouse parade float at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. When I was younger, my mom, my best friend, her mom, her siblings and I would go down to Disney World every winter break. My best friend and me always had dreams of being on Disney Channel, and we would always pretend we had our own TV show. When we walked into Animal Kingdom on this day, we were confronted and asked to be in the parade. At the time, the Mickey Mouse float was the last float, so naturally it was a big deal. My friend and me were so excited, we truly thought we were on Disney Channel.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/brookeremii
- Instagram: instagram.com/brookeremii
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFAUHx00evzn-NtBpZYCQAg
- Other: http://www.tiktok.com/@brookeremii
