By Anna Patterson
The tedious roar of beak combined amongst interjections of grinding java does non brand for an ideal interview setting. But when I sit down downward amongst Shannon Higgins inward this crowded java shop, the noisy atmosphere fades into the background. I am transported into Shannon’s even out — her incredible journeying of abandonment, imprisonment, homelessness, motivation, courage, in addition to overcoming.
After beingness given away past times her nascency woman nurture at infancy, Shannon went dorsum in addition to forth betwixt foster homes in addition to patch custody. She was adopted at historic menstruation three past times pastor Earl Higgins in addition to his wife. But 5 years later, Shannon’s adopted woman nurture died. By historic menstruation 8, Shannon had lost non one, but ii mothers.
As Shannon grew up, she made it her mission to locate her nascency mother. She fix courtroom appointment after courtroom date, but her woman nurture never came. So, dorsum inward the “system,” or patch custody, she went. She lived inward a grouping abode until she left at historic menstruation xviii amongst a deep anger at life in addition to her circumstances.
Her even out took a downward spiral. After getting kicked out of a chore corps for instigating a fight, Shannon began shoplifting. When her shoplifting grouping was busted, she was set on abode incarceration. But when she cutting off her tracking bracelet to become out on New Year’s Eve, she returned to uncovering the police line waiting at her door in addition to facing ninety days inward the Jefferson County jail.
The longest ninety days of her life, she says.
Once Shannon was released, she was determined to instruct dorsum on her feet. But anger in addition to onetime habits resurfaced. Although she had sworn off stealing, she began going to clubs in addition to taking ecstasy pills. She was kicked out of her cousin’s home, where she had been staying, in addition to had nowhere else to turn.
Shannon became homeless — a “bag lady” who would demeanour all her asset from identify to place. She would shuttle dorsum in addition to forth betwixt Wayside Christian Mission in addition to the Salvation Army, wherever she could uncovering a identify to stay.
She thought this was the end. This was her fate.
But it wasn’t.
During her homelessness, Shannon began attention Cable Baptist Church in addition to received counseling from the pastor, Reverend Anthony Middleton, who helped her brand peace amongst her anger.
After beingness homeless for a year, Shannon was able to uncovering a chore every bit a residential counselor at Boys & Girls Haven. She helped kids who faced the same problems she had. “We are non only a statistic,” she would tell them. “I’ve been inward foster care, I’ve been inward patch custody, I’ve been inward jail, my parents didn’t desire me. But nosotros tin overcome all of this.”
Later, she began attention the University of Louisville, in addition to inside a twelvemonth she graduated amongst an associate marking inward applied arts amongst an interdisciplinary inward early on childhood education.
Once she had her associate degree, Shannon became unstoppable. She continued her schooling at UofL in addition to earned her bachelor’s marking inward education. She continued at Ottawa University inward Jeffersonville, earning to a greater extent than or less other bachelor’s marking inward human services amongst a little inward education.
Shannon is currently pursuing a master’s marking inward pedagogy through the online St. Thomas University.
But Shannon’s even out isn’t over. At historic menstruation 28, Shannon’s petition for her biological tape was approved inward court, in addition to she was given her personal file. She was able to contact i of her aunts, who was overjoyed that Shannon had flora her in addition to wanted to run across that real day.
Shannon in addition to a friend went to run across the aunt at a White Castle inward Bardstown, Ky. But Shannon was inward for a surprise. Not solely was her aunt there, but her biological father, to a greater extent than or less other aunt, in addition to her sis had also come. They drove dorsum to her aunt’s house, in addition to all black long, solid unit of measurement members from all over Kentucky showed upward to run across Shannon.
The daughter who had no solid unit of measurement instantly had to a greater extent than relatives than she could name.
Now 33, Shannon is a social worker for Minor Daniels Academy. She also tours every bit a motivational speaker, traveling to grouping homes in addition to schools to part her story. She e'er tells her audience, “Never permit somebody tell you lot that you lot can’t go anything. You tin go anything you lot fix your hear to. Don’t worry well-nigh people who turn down you lot in addition to closed the door on you. There could go 4 or 5 people who don’t desire you, in addition to 150 people who volition convey you. It solely takes i yep from God.”
Be on the spotter for Shannon’s book, I Have H5N1 Beautiful Life Because My Ugly Past Didn’t Win, to go released inward April. Sumber http://www.todayswomannow.com/
The tedious roar of beak combined amongst interjections of grinding java does non brand for an ideal interview setting. But when I sit down downward amongst Shannon Higgins inward this crowded java shop, the noisy atmosphere fades into the background. I am transported into Shannon’s even out — her incredible journeying of abandonment, imprisonment, homelessness, motivation, courage, in addition to overcoming.
After beingness given away past times her nascency woman nurture at infancy, Shannon went dorsum in addition to forth betwixt foster homes in addition to patch custody. She was adopted at historic menstruation three past times pastor Earl Higgins in addition to his wife. But 5 years later, Shannon’s adopted woman nurture died. By historic menstruation 8, Shannon had lost non one, but ii mothers.
As Shannon grew up, she made it her mission to locate her nascency mother. She fix courtroom appointment after courtroom date, but her woman nurture never came. So, dorsum inward the “system,” or patch custody, she went. She lived inward a grouping abode until she left at historic menstruation xviii amongst a deep anger at life in addition to her circumstances.
Her even out took a downward spiral. After getting kicked out of a chore corps for instigating a fight, Shannon began shoplifting. When her shoplifting grouping was busted, she was set on abode incarceration. But when she cutting off her tracking bracelet to become out on New Year’s Eve, she returned to uncovering the police line waiting at her door in addition to facing ninety days inward the Jefferson County jail.
The longest ninety days of her life, she says.
Once Shannon was released, she was determined to instruct dorsum on her feet. But anger in addition to onetime habits resurfaced. Although she had sworn off stealing, she began going to clubs in addition to taking ecstasy pills. She was kicked out of her cousin’s home, where she had been staying, in addition to had nowhere else to turn.
Shannon became homeless — a “bag lady” who would demeanour all her asset from identify to place. She would shuttle dorsum in addition to forth betwixt Wayside Christian Mission in addition to the Salvation Army, wherever she could uncovering a identify to stay.
She thought this was the end. This was her fate.
But it wasn’t.
During her homelessness, Shannon began attention Cable Baptist Church in addition to received counseling from the pastor, Reverend Anthony Middleton, who helped her brand peace amongst her anger.
After beingness homeless for a year, Shannon was able to uncovering a chore every bit a residential counselor at Boys & Girls Haven. She helped kids who faced the same problems she had. “We are non only a statistic,” she would tell them. “I’ve been inward foster care, I’ve been inward patch custody, I’ve been inward jail, my parents didn’t desire me. But nosotros tin overcome all of this.”
Later, she began attention the University of Louisville, in addition to inside a twelvemonth she graduated amongst an associate marking inward applied arts amongst an interdisciplinary inward early on childhood education.
Once she had her associate degree, Shannon became unstoppable. She continued her schooling at UofL in addition to earned her bachelor’s marking inward education. She continued at Ottawa University inward Jeffersonville, earning to a greater extent than or less other bachelor’s marking inward human services amongst a little inward education.
Shannon is currently pursuing a master’s marking inward pedagogy through the online St. Thomas University.
But Shannon’s even out isn’t over. At historic menstruation 28, Shannon’s petition for her biological tape was approved inward court, in addition to she was given her personal file. She was able to contact i of her aunts, who was overjoyed that Shannon had flora her in addition to wanted to run across that real day.
Shannon in addition to a friend went to run across the aunt at a White Castle inward Bardstown, Ky. But Shannon was inward for a surprise. Not solely was her aunt there, but her biological father, to a greater extent than or less other aunt, in addition to her sis had also come. They drove dorsum to her aunt’s house, in addition to all black long, solid unit of measurement members from all over Kentucky showed upward to run across Shannon.
The daughter who had no solid unit of measurement instantly had to a greater extent than relatives than she could name.
Now 33, Shannon is a social worker for Minor Daniels Academy. She also tours every bit a motivational speaker, traveling to grouping homes in addition to schools to part her story. She e'er tells her audience, “Never permit somebody tell you lot that you lot can’t go anything. You tin go anything you lot fix your hear to. Don’t worry well-nigh people who turn down you lot in addition to closed the door on you. There could go 4 or 5 people who don’t desire you, in addition to 150 people who volition convey you. It solely takes i yep from God.”
Be on the spotter for Shannon’s book, I Have H5N1 Beautiful Life Because My Ugly Past Didn’t Win, to go released inward April. Sumber http://www.todayswomannow.com/