A Journey of Courage: My Path to Authenticity

March 31st is Transgender Day of Visibility. This year, I felt it was important to speak up a little louder and stand up for those who may not be able to. I am a proud, happy, supported, and loved transman who lives authentically every day. While it hasn’t always been easy to say (or type), and it can still be challenging at times, I can’t imagine my life any other way.

I joined Paylocity in October 2021 after changing career paths multiple times early on. I started college to become a teacher, worked at a movie theater, entered the insurance field during the pandemic, and finally found my way to Paylocity. Throughout my professional life, I’ve worn many hats, and finding my place and support within the Paylocity community has been incredibly rejuvenating.

I began as an Account Manager, helping our growth market and smaller business clients navigate our products and troubleshoot our system to bring their vision to life. I was lucky to have an incredible leadership team that supported me and showed compassion during challenging moments. As I grew within the company, I found myself returning to my roots in training and teaching. I became a trainer, helping new Account Managers learn our system and solve common client scenarios. 

While working in the Lake Mary, FL office, the laws around transgender medicine and care began to change, and I felt compelled to speak up. I shared my concerns with my manager about safety and medical access, and with support from senior leaders, we found opportunities for me to move out of state to ensure better protection for myself.

Now, I am in my favorite role at Paylocity as a Solutions Specialist, where I get to combine many of the previous roles I’ve had into one! I stay in touch with most of the leaders I’ve worked with, and their ongoing support and care mean the world to me.

A look at my journey:

• At 4 years old, I wanted to be Danny Zuko in a preschool play 
• At 7 years old, I cut all my hair off and had a buzz cut 
• At 10 years old, I moved from New York to Florida, and as not to be picked on for being “different,” I changed how I dressed to “fit in” as I was starting a new “life” 
• At 14 years old, I found out there was a word for how I had been feeling my entire life, and from that moment forward I have never looked back
• At that same age, I told my mom that I am transgender. My exact words “…actually, I am a boy” 
• At 15 years old, my dad and sister were informed (a month or so apart) 
• At 16 years old, after two years of therapy, I started taking medicine and following standards of care to finally start my real, new life 
• At 18 years old, I got my first surgery and legally became myself  
• At 26 years old, I lost access to medicine that I had been taking for 10 years just because a nurse practitioner was the prescriber 
• At 27 years old, I moved out of Florida, away from family and friends, to be in a safer state with better protections and healthcare for people who are like me 
• At 28 years old, I am scared that even this move might not protect my access to my identity, my ability to travel safely, and my life-saving medical care 

Throughout this journey, Paylocity has been a place where I’ve always felt supported and safe to be my authentic self, something that isn’t always guaranteed in the world we live in. I’m fortunate to have an amazing support system at both work and home. Reflecting on how far I’ve come, my current motivational phrase is, “Whatever it takes.”

Let’s continue to be visible, stay kind, and stand up for one another.