Eugenia Woods

My advocacy work began out of necessity when my son, who is on the autism spectrum, faced severe challenges in school. He was being bullied so badly that he started exhibiting self-harm behaviors like wetting himself and having nosebleeds, and he was hiding his glasses because he was terrified. When I pulled him out for his safety, the school took me to court even though they had no safe place for him. I wound up homeschooling him for six years, before homeschool programs for children with learning challenges even existed. As a woman of color without credentials, I had to fight to be heard and learn everything on my own through library books and research. That journey led me to help other families who were walking the same path, especially those who couldn't afford formal advocates. I've assisted parents in navigating IEP meetings, preventing expulsions, and standing up to school systems that violate their rights. I completed a year-long fellowship at Stony Brook University's LEND program as a long-term trainee in family leadership, where I sat alongside psychiatrists, psychologists, and medical professionals to help them understand what families really experience. I also minister through liturgical dance at conferences and events focused on women's empowerment and domestic violence survival. I was honored last year by Zion Cathedral for my advocacy work through worship and the arts. I'm a published author in the anthology 'From Caterpillar to Butterfly,' which became an international bestseller, where I shared my story of surviving incest, depression, suicide attempts, and nearly dying from COVID in 2021.