How the 911der Woman Fireworks Scholarship Jumpstarted My Life Change
Written by Donna Dudek
I’ve been in law enforcement for over 28 years and you can easily say that I found my calling as a dispatcher and a trainer. As the training supervisor for my agency, I truly believe that I have the ability to help shape and mold newly hired dispatchers into great future leaders. When I applied for the Fireworks Scholarship, I quickly forgot about it because I never believed I would win. I have never had the opportunity to put myself first or advance my learning.
When I opened the email saying that I was a recipient of a scholarship and that I had been chosen to attend the 9-1-1 Leadership Training Event at the Mayan Ranch in Bandera, TX, I started to cry. I was shocked, elated, and anxious all at the same time. My boss had attended the 911 Leadership Training Retreat years prior and knew that it would be a great experience. I chose to attend the November 2024 session because we had a busy year planned with lots of new hires, trainees, and classes I needed to teach.
By the time November 2024 rolled around, my year had beaten me to a pulp and my enthusiasm for attending the Leadership Training Event was long gone. I was exhausted and at the lowest point I had ever been in my career. I didn’t want to attend the training at all and knew I was going to “phone it in”. I told myself I was going to go, attend the mandatory classes, take naps, relax, get my mandatory training hours, and come back to work. That is the exact opposite of what happened.
My time at the Mayan Ranch was an absolute breakthrough for me. My first night there I pretty much stayed to myself except for the mandatory socializing Joe Serio made all of the participants do. We had to move from table to table and answer silly little questions from ice breaker cards. Then, we all had to ride a hay wagon to a campsite for dinner and singing. This was the only way we were eating that night. And my anxiety had prevented me from eating all day so I was hungry. Joe was the only person I knew, so I talked to him on the hayride but forced myself to talk to strangers at the dinner. And then, I went back to my cabin for solitude.
The next day, I started breaking out of my hard candy shell a little bit more. Three women saw me sitting by myself at breakfast and invited me to sit with them and join their conversation. We talked all through breakfast and all the way to the classroom. During sessions, I talked with my tablemates and started talking to other people. I cried and talked about how tough my job was. My three new friends found me at lunch, and we bonded a little bit more. And a little bit more in the afternoon and evening. And a lot more that night.
The second day of the Leadership Training Retreat was my big breakthrough. Joe and his admin, Amy Patin, sneakily switched our seats around so we had to sit with different people each day. Which meant I was with new people at my table. And the topics on the second day were tough. They were emotional and gritty. And my hard candy shell broke wide open. All the feelings I had been hiding for years leaked down my face and onto the table. And I had the biggest release of anxiety, fear, anger, sadness, and regret – so much that I had to leave the classroom. And two people followed me. And hugged me. And let me cry, talk, vent, and cry some more. And at the end of the session, that broke me, the teacher, and my three new friends all came out to make sure I was okay. And so did my three tablemates. And Joe Serio.
That breakdown became a breakthrough, and I started becoming lighter. I opened up during the rest of the Leadership Retreat, and you could not shut me up. My voice rang out, and it rang true. It turns out that I have quite a loud voice when you let me speak. And it turns out that people care what I have to say!
I left the Mayan Ranch with a different outlook on so many things, most importantly, myself, my life, and my place in it. I also left with new friends, including Joe Serio and Amy Patin. They are both very, very important people in my life and they are both mentors. Those three women? They are now my Lifers – we talk all the time. We’ve had one girls’ trip since the Mayan Ranch and we’re planning on having at least one a year. I’m lucky that one of them lives about 15 minutes from me and works at a neighboring agency. I’m lucky that God placed each of them in my path just when I needed them most. I’m just…lucky.
Six months after the Leadership Retreat, things are not perfect. But they are much better. I am in a better place. I am much better about speaking my truth. I am better about taking care of ME before I take care of others. I put my mental health first. I am learning to put my physical health first. I have lost 30 pounds and am on my way to losing more and getting back to where I was before life gut-punched me.
I am more peaceful now. I’ve found purpose in my career and myself. I know I have a voice and there are many things I can tell and teach people. I have goals. I want to teach training classes, speak at conferences, do all the things! If it weren’t for 911der Woman and the Fireworks Scholarship, I wouldn’t know I was capable of ANY of these things!
Thank you, Donna for sharing your experience with us. If you are interested in writing a blog, please email amanda@911derwomen.com. Sign up for our newsletter on our homepage to stay up to date with 911der Women programming, exclusive content and blog updates. Click here and scroll to the bottom.