Pierina Reyes will never forget her lowest moment. 

She was 20 years old and had recently given birth to her first child. Having moved to Summit County from Peru at age 18, Reyes worked three jobs — as a dishwasher, housekeeper and fast food employee. She was on her feet from 6 a.m. to about 1 a.m. most days. Living with the father of her child, a man who had proven physically and verbally abusive, Reyes was drinking to cope with growing anxiety and depression.

It was the eve of her 21st birthday. Her son was 3 months old. Reyes found herself at a point of total despair. 

“His father left the house, left a note on the cabinet,” Reyes recalls. “He said so many bad things about me. I didn’t have a job at the time. … We had just got this apartment in Dillon. That night, I was thinking if I kill myself, it’s going to solve my life. Nothing else is going to happen. What do I do? kill my son first, then kill me? How do I do this?”

It was her infant son who snapped her out of it.

“That night, he just smiled at me,” she says through tears. “His smile, I think that was a sign for me to just rethink.”

The next thing she knew was that she needed to talk to someone. 

“I called my mom. That was the only person. She was just talking to me all night. I felt so lonely. I didn’t have any support at that time. I felt like nobody cared about me or my son.”

Although Reyes experienced more low moments, none plunged to those depths again. 

She got involved with Child Protective Services, which is when her path finally took a positive turn. 

“(Child Protective Services) was a good thing at that moment. They put me in contact with so many resources in my community,” she said. “I got daycare. I got a job. They put me in touch with Leslie Day.”

Leslie Day was a counselor for Advocates for Victims of Assault (now ARISE), the Family and Intercultural Resource Center and for Building Hope when it launched in 2016. When Reyes began her sessions in 2012, Day was the only Spanish-speaking counselor available in Summit County. In addition to providing an outlet and guiding light for Reyes during her mental health journey, Day, who passed away a couple of years ago, encouraged Reyes to continue her education.

Having graduated from high school early at age 15 and completed a Psychology degree in Peru, in her new country, Reyes had to start at square one. She began taking English as a second language evening classes at Colorado Mountain College. With daycare available at the college, she took her small son with her to class. She managed to complete two associate degrees. 

However, things at home were difficult. After being deported to El Salvador, the father of Reyes’ child eventually returned to Summit County. The pair had another child, but once again, the relationship turned sour. Reyes was on her own all over again. However, the hunger to learn kept her moving forward. She tackled several weeks of training to become a volunteer with Advocates for Victims of Assault and continued her sessions with Day.

“She was very genuine with her word and authentic in a very direct, mindful way,” Reyes says. “She became a very good friend.”

Determined to help immigrants who might find themselves in a similar situation, Reyes began pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She drove to Metropolitan State University in Denver two days a week for three years. She didn’t stop there. A single mother with two children, Reyes went on to tackle a master’s degree at the University of Northern Colorado. 

Last December, she completed her master’s and is now pursuing her license as a professional counselor. She provides bilingual counseling to the immigrant community in Summit County, leading Building Hope-sponsored counseling twice a month at a private practice in Dillon.

“There’s a lot of shame around substance abuse, alcohol abuse. It’s not part of my life anymore. It’s part of my strength,” Reyes says, adding that her ultimate goal is to help others embrace their strength. “Being a victim of domestic violence, a woman, a Latina, an immigrant, single mom, all those things led to the counselor I am now.” 

She constantly sees herself in her clients. The advice she most wants to impart to anyone struggling is that it never hurts to ask for help. 

“If you don’t ask, you’re not going to get help,” she said.

Editor’s note: Written by Shauna Farnell, a special projects writer for Building Hope Summit County.