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Twelve-year-old Jessica grew up in a small village in Alaska. She was smart and planned to go to college. Her teachers were encouraging and urged her to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. (Industry) Jessica's family, on the other hand, showed no support for her dreams and discouraged her saying she might fail. They told her that she would be better off never leaving the village. (Inferiority)
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Because Jessica was not encouraged in her education and missed the Identity development, she is not sure who she is anymore. She doesn't know where she belongs in the world and is not sure where her life is headed. (Role Confusion) If she had leaned and was encouraged at home and at school, she may have thrived in her education and become a doctor. (Identity)
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Jessica is now an adult. She was able to overcome her discouragement by her family. She volunteers at school and encourages students to go on to tertiary school. She is contributing to her community because she was resilient in her teens so she can positively impact students to get higher education. (Generativity) If she had stayed in her state of discouragement, she would have become pessimistic and feel like she has no contribution. (Stagnation)