Michelle Thao
Co-Owner / Admin
I am a second-generation Hmong American, who was stuck on the idea of the American dream ingrained by my parents. Their sacrifices meant I had to make it up to them by going to college and finding a good job. I was the normal kid, getting by with passing grades, struggling when I did and excelling when I did.
In middle school, my life drastically changed when my parents went through divorce. It took a hard hit on how I viewed life, as having divorced parents meant a broken family with constant changes. I was moving around, finding it hard to make a healthy adjustment to new environments while struggling to find myself.
After graduating from high school, I enrolled in college thinking I would get my degree. However, the reality was far from the truth. Shortly after half a semester, I dropped out and moved back to live with my parents due to depression and having little support from them.
I started working laborious jobs with long hours. Eventually, I became a mother in 2014. A year later, I walked down the same path as my parents and divorced. In the Hmong community, being a divorced Hmong women is highly stigmatized and frowned upon. I was ostracized by very own family and relatives who were supposed to support me.
In 2016, I met my husband who understood where I came from and became my support system. Three years later, we got married. We have five beautiful children, and are living the American dream. I love to read and exercise in my spare time. I also love being a mom and working hard for my kids to ensure that they will have a bright future.
Although I did not walk the “traditional” path of getting a college degree, I feel that I have achieved the American dream by becoming a business owner and being able to support my family financially. I have learned that the American dream doesn’t need a college degree. Instead, it is about being happy, having a family, a strong support system, and doing the things that complete you.
My hopes and passion is that C Progression can be a point of source to help others achieve happiness, to grow mentally and spiritually as we help them find ways to deal with mental health.