Her Story
About Keisha
I've been working in intervention, prevention, and trauma recovery for about 24 years now. My key responsibilities involve connecting systems together to better serve people who have been impacted by trauma, specifically youth who have been impacted by the juvenile justice system as well as the child welfare system. I focus on creating and building infrastructures to address the needs of those who are impacted. I founded the Center for Hope, a nonprofit where we work specifically with women, underserved and women of color who have been victimized and exploited by trafficking, sexual assault, and domestic violence. I was inspired to get into this field back in 2001 when I started working as an office manager at Mississippi Families for Kids, a respite program and adoption agency. My former boss saw a passion and a spark in my eye and told me I lit up when it was time to advocate for the children. She started seeing more for me in this field than just being an office manager, and it started from there.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Keisha
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to knowing that there are people who really need healing and hope. I believe in hope, I believe hope is a possibility for everyone, and so I strive to make that, create that narrative, in all capacities of my life and my work.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received was to believe in your work and tap into your passion. That's probably the best way to put it. Tap into your passion.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women entering this field to understand what self-care is, understanding self-awareness, and understanding when to recognize burnout and fatigue. But also appreciate the work, and never take the skill for granted.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges, I think, in every field is resources, resources and lack of knowledge in the dynamics of trauma. The biggest opportunities are that it is, this field is becoming more and more visible and prevalent. The work, people aren't as quiet about it, and the stigma is deteriorating, so it's an open field to do different things that you want to do, or we want to do.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that matter to me most are balance, integrity, and empathy. When it comes to work and personal life, I would say balance and integrity are essential, along with empathy.
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