Congratulations to Rebecca Lynn

Meet Rebecca Lynn

The turning point of Rebecca’s life was at the age of 21. She was accepted at Illinois State University and was on the verge of making the move from Decatur to Bloomington, Illinois… while also awaiting trial for a Class X felony.

Rebecca grew up as the youngest of eight natural-born children in a firmly religious household. Her mom worked constantly from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. every weekday. As her mother was so often hard at work, one of Rebecca’s older sisters would take on a maternal role for her. 

“She was the person who I called when I was arrested and in jail more than once, and she was the person I called when I graduated. Highs and lows, she was the first person I would call. She has always been a very steady force for me. Always.”

As Rebecca grew older, she began to delve further into her rebellious side. Her risky lifestyle would create distance between her and many of those closest to her. Soon, Rebecca’s wayward path would intersect with a man who would later become her son’s father. She gave birth to their son at only 18 years old.

Regrettably, the relationship became an abusive one. The lowest points of Rebecca’s life consisted of the humiliation she felt from enduring physical abuse: “I just became really distrusting, so I held onto friends from childhood without creating new ones.”

As Rebecca fell further into social isolation, her son’s father was starting to get a little too friendly with others. While sitting in a car discussing his cheating, the two were stopped by local police.

Rebecca was always told by friends on the streets that a male officer could not search a female. This implied a certain drill when it came to illegal items. She took his unlawful paraphernalia so he could avoid the consequences. 

“I knew that [my son’s father] was a gang leader and drug dealer and had a previous felony, so I took his items without thoughts of the consequences.”

It turns out, the police did not need to search her. When they asked Rebecca to step outside of the vehicle, she politely handed over a firearm and bags of cannabis. Upon relinquishing these items, she was arrested and jailed for more than 24 hours until she was released on bond. Her son's father hired an attorney for her.

The following trial lasted a year. “The case itself was just as messy as my life.”

So, as Rebecca moved into ISU’s Cardinal Court housing with her two-year-old son, she did not know whether she would get to fulfill her goal of graduating college, or if she would be imprisoned for the next 15-30 years of her life. She was also unsure whether her child would grow up without his father in his life, which was one of her greatest fears.

“My sister told me that I could never return to Decatur. Everything I had known up to that point was something I could not turn back to… I was in Bloomington to either sink or swim.”

As for the father of her son, he would be arrested multiple times throughout the year, extending his stay in jail. Eventually, Rebecca testified against him. “That was the hardest… I had never testified before — I had never been on trial before — so it was all a very new ordeal. And I cried through the whole thing. I do think that that had a lot to do with just a sense of loyalty in the streets. You know the saying, ‘snitches get ditches?’ You just go down for yourself, so to speak. You don’t take other people down. And for me, being his girl and testifying against him… Yeah, that was huge.”

Once the year was up, the verdict was in. He was sentenced to 49 years in prison, while she was given two years of probation with a fine.

After the trial, Rebecca Lynn was prepared to begin a new chapter of her life at Illinois State. However, things still weren’t smooth-sailing: “I was in a terrible identity crisis. I thought I was just as bad and crooked [as my son’s father], but the verdicts really pointed to the truth of the matter. I really thought I was this hood girl. I thought that I was this hardcore person, but God was really pointing out what the truth was versus what I was feeling about myself.”

A friend moved in with her at Cardinal Court to help provide childcare for her then-two-year-old son. She also found support in her best friend at the time, who was in her third year at ISU and persuaded Rebecca to apply to the school in the first place. Yet, she was torn between her self-image as a “street kid” versus an adult determined to make something of herself. “There was a lot of intervention from my best friend and from other people around me during that time. Things had to change because the people who really truly knew me knew I’m the girl who studies in the library. Like, I’m a nerd! Why am I doing this? What is this about? Some people were trying really hard to keep me on track.”

Adding to the turmoil, in Rebecca’s first year at ISU, she “failed miserably” with a 0.62GPA. This resulted in losing her living space at Cardinal Court. “The only thing I had was my smarts… and I was not proving that very well.” 

She enrolled at Heartland Community College the following semester and remained there until she was eligible to return to ISU three years later. She moved back into Cardinal Court and set out with a vengeance to prove herself. Being a single parent, a former “criminal,” and an abused person would not hinder her goals. She was not a failure, and she would achieve her dreams.

Rebecca especially wanted to prove herself to her mother. “When I had my son at 18, she told me that all my dreams had died and that I would just need to find a job. Her response stuck with me, but there was something in me that said I was more than that.” She wanted to show her mother what she could accomplish, and that she could be more than just a "worker.”

Through the NEW START program, ISU erased her GPA and granted her a fresh start at 0.00. Rebecca’s first semester, she earned a 3.5 -- and maintained it! She finally overcame her academic obstacles and learned how to learn. 

Three years later, Rebecca was the first out of eight siblings to complete college. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Psychology.

“I did not reach this goal with family help, but with many advisors and close friends at school.“

While she triumphed over struggle after struggle in her personal life, Rebecca always had a desire to help others triumph over their personal struggles too. So, with an education now behind her, she set out to do just that.

As a child, Rebecca Lynn did not know her father well. He died when she was 13 years old. Yet, the year before his passing, she spent some time with him. It was during this period that Rebecca would encounter drugs and the streets for the first time — which, fortunately, she would later overcome. Her father allegedly had significant mental health issues. Her mother claimed he was a paranoid schizophrenic who would often sleep on park benches.

After graduating from ISU, it was only fitting that the very first job Rebecca would land was at a homeless shelter. It was here that she would witness the complications of mental health and addiction first-hand. She wanted to know more in order to help people, so the next goal she achieved was earning her Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor credential from Illinois Central College. A month later, she enrolled in online school through Capella University, while homeschooling her son who was then in 8th grade. After four to five years, she earned her Master’s of Science degree in Mental Health Counseling. 

With a graduate degree in hand, she had everything she needed to start bettering the lives of others. And yet, something was holding her back. 

Part of her problem was confidence. “I just really struggled with identity for a lot of it, because I know myself, I know where I came from, and why would someone want to listen to me?”

It took a while before Rebecca could see herself as a counselor. But through training and guidance from her job at Chestnut Health Services, as well as her next job at UnityPoint Health, she would finally gain the confidence she needed. 

“No matter how much education I had, it was always very humbling to me that people listened, and they knew that I was genuine and that I was truly concerned about them. Four years into counseling, and I was still feeling the imposter syndrome. I still was feeling like, I can’t believe this! I can’t believe I’m effective at making a difference in someone’s life.”

Unfortunately, UnityPoint closed at the peak of Rebecca’s journey to self-assurance. However, this gave her a nudge to consider private practice. At first, she was fearful of working such an important job on her own, so she did not think this direction was ideal. But after some support from fellow counselors and friends, and after enduring a particularly difficult year of family challenges, Rebecca finally created her business in 2018: Blue Skies Counseling. 

“From the depths of my pain, came purpose.”

As Blue Skies was created, Rebecca also returned to Chestnut Health Services and started working in local schools. Before and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Rebecca would continue counseling at Normal West High School. It was there that she discovered she was actually quite effective in speaking with teenagers.

“I was like… my son never listened to me, but they’re listening to me?!”

Her private practice would also grow exponentially during this time and became her main source of livelihood. Yet, despite her quality training and efficacy, she still felt hesitant to pursue Blue Skies full-time. Eventually, scheduling conflicts led her to leave her counseling at Normal West. So, on June 18th, 2021, Rebecca made the leap.

“It’s still sustained, all anxieties aside. It’s still growing and is still very present… I definitely have bigger dreams for Blue Skies, but right now, I’m okay with what I have.”

The turning point of Rebecca Lynn’s life began 22 years ago. She is now unrecognizable from the woman she was then.

From a fearful “rebel” facing 15-30 years in prison to an open, strong, and compassionate woman and counselor, Rebecca serves as a powerful inspiration to her community. She has defied the odds and leaped forward from each drawback. When no one else believed that she could, she did. While she has endured a plethora of obstacles in her life including abuse, abandonment, academic failure, rejections from employers, and even criminal charges, all that strife has transformed her into an incredibly resilient woman.

When asked what advice she would give to those in similar situations, Rebecca simply stated, “If relationships are what broke you, healthy relationships will restore you. Having a healthy relationship with yourself, and then gaining healthy relationships around you is paramount to your healing journey and to different life stages.”

As to where she has drawn her strength through her challenges, Rebecca thanks God and her family.

We asked her what her thoughts were upon hearing she had been chosen as the first ExtraOrdinary Woman by the newly created ExtraOrdinary Women Project BN. She said, “I think this is another opportunity to embrace that growing aspect of my journey to no longer fear things but to encounter them. This is an encounter that I can appreciate. My purpose would have never been revealed had I never gone through pain. I think about every situation, and I ask, ‘Okay, God, what do you have next? What’s the next door?’ I am truly honored.”

Rebecca is a dreamer who doesn’t quit. She believes in perseverance and that what's inside of you should be kept alive. This is why she now walks beside others through their traumas and addictions, helping them reach their fullest potential.

One day she would like to write a book about her life experiences, as she believes her journey could help encourage others in similar situations. Rebecca would tell you that her story isn’t unique and that she has heard similar tales from many other women.

However, we think her story is very special and deserving of recognition, as it is not the past that makes Rebecca Lynn such an extraordinary woman — but what she has forged from it.

Congratulations to you, Rebecca Lynn: our first ExtraOrdinary Woman.

If you relate to Rebecca’s story, we encourage you to check out her counseling services .

If you would like to nominate an extraordinary woman you know — even if it’s yourself! — please nominate via our website’s Nomination Page. 

The ExtraOrdinary Women Project BN thanks Rebecca for being so willing to share her remarkable journey with us. May her story embolden our unsung heroines and inspire our community here in McLean County. The EOW is celebrating women, sharing stories, and inspiring others.

Story Written By Simmy Wood, EOW Intern. Posted 12/03/2021.