My name is Tara Martinez Fernandez, and I am one of the founders of 180 Shift, a podcast that has been gaining significant attention nationwide. I am 23 years old, and my journey has been transformative. I once held very liberal views, even participating in the Women’s March in 2017. However, my perspective shifted dramatically when I became pregnant at 18 and scheduled an abortion with Planned Parenthood. At that time, I viewed abortion as an undesirable form of birth control. Although I sought counsel from them, I already knew what I was planning to do. My boyfriend believed it should be a woman’s decision, with men remaining silent on the issue. But on my way to the appointment, I turned around. Despite having no money, job, or education, I chose to keep my baby. The baby’s father (now my husband) named her Phoebe, meaning “bright,” which perfectly describes her impact on my life.
After Phoebe’s birth, I worked tirelessly towards a career in filmmaking, even bringing her to my college classes. I became a born-again Christian and began educating other young women about resources available for those who choose not to have abortions, like the organization that supported me. They provided me with diapers, food, and connected me with a network of mothers. Through that network, my husband found an opportunity to apprentice with a top-rated electrician, a career he takes pride in to this day. We married when my daughter was one, and our son was born a year later. We have a beautiful family, and I feel blessed by the grace and miracles God has given us. It haunts me to think I almost made the worst mistake of my life, and I am deeply concerned about how many women make that mistake without ever realizing what they missed out on.
Through God’s grace, I have also pursued my career path. I am an editor, working gig to gig, and have enjoyed a steady stream of well-paying work for the past two years. I feel truly blessed. I work from home, homeschool my daughter part-time, and take both of my kids to homeschool groups at the park and to Sunday school weekly.
180 Shift aims to spark meaningful conversations among younger generations. My goal is to thoroughly examine the character of individuals under 25. Research shows our brains don’t fully develop until around age 25 for females and 27 for males. Could this be why 1 in 4 Gen Z members struggle with mental health issues like depression and anxiety? Why did 9% of high schoolers attempt suicide in 2019? As someone with a history of anxiety and depression, I understand these struggles, but what has changed since previous generations? The CDC reports that the suicide rate among Gen Z is the highest in over 50 years. Is this due to a culture that embraces victimhood, discards personal responsibility, or devalues moral obligations to society? Is it related to the decline in physical and social health during COVID-19 or the shift towards anti-God ideologies? Perhaps it’s due to failing school systems. These are the questions I explore, one conversation at a time, on the 180 Podcast. We discuss relevant topics like being a good spouse, staying strong in faith, maintaining a social life outside of party culture, surviving against stigma, and confronting the evils of social media. As our movement grows, so will our message. We encourage everyone to register to vote and support values that ensure security and long-term happiness for all Americans.
On the 180 Shift podcast, I am open to discussing my experiences with mental health and the challenges I faced during early adulthood. My story may be unique, but being raised as a homeschooled kid didn’t prevent me from experiencing the same struggles as my peers.
My testimony includes battling addiction to drugs like Xanax, fentanyl, acid, mushrooms, molly, hard alcohol, and oxycontin. The recent fentanyl crisis affected my family personally, causing me to fall behind in high school. I struggled with anxiety and addiction at 16 and 17, and I witnessed friends and acquaintances die from overdoses and poor choices. I suffered several overdoses myself. When I found out I was pregnant a week after turning 18, I initially wanted to get an abortion and continue this lifestyle. But Jesus intervened, and I had a change of heart. Now, I am six years sober from hard drugs and actively work the AA and CR programs. My journey is truly one day at a time, and I also utilized Recovery Inc. in my mental health journey. My lifestyle was not as uncommon as you might think. My cousin, who shared a similar mindset, also struggled with mental health and addiction. She moved in with me last year, hoping to find the same change I experienced. Despite my efforts to support her, she tragically committed suicide, which broke everyone’s heart. I realize now that my testimony is unusual; not everyone in recovery makes it out alive, let alone functional. My “180 Shift” was nothing less than a miracle. But knowing this, I will not give up on the next person seeking wisdom, despite the likelihood of failure. I will continue to amplify the message. God has reminded me that this is my mission in life: to evangelize to younger generations, especially Gen Z. I was not given up on, and we must not give up on our future.
I previously led a local chapter of Turning Point USA, but I am now passing the baton to the younger generation and plan to start a college chapter soon.
Please get in touch with my team if you would like to share your story and perspective with me and Ellie. We would love to hear it and share it with our audience.
Tara Martinez Fernandez – Mother of 2