Shanequa Lewis

I attribute my success, number one, to God. Then I think about my mom - she has seven children, and how she dedicated her life to care for all of us. I think about my pastor, who has put his time aside and how he helped others. I think about my grandmother and selective family members who I know have imparted and gave up themselves to make other people's lives different in such a positive value. I contribute my success to my daughter, who has helped shape my mind and my heart, even on another level after I had her, on a more introspective way. When I hear people tell me they remember me from an outreach and that I helped them, and now they're at another level in life where they're accomplishing things and I was able to be a part of that journey - I just love to hear that. That's what really pushes me to want to do better and to keep on helping people.

The best career advice I received is to embrace your difference, and that mattered to me because I have done things in my life that were always different, especially being around a certain upbringing. It got me outcasted, especially when I had to break traditions, break cultures, and break certain family ties. I never wanted to feel disrespectful, but I wanted to say that some things that have been carried out have hurt our bloodline. I had to bring a different outlook on family values and relationships, and face the pressure of people saying I thought I was better than them. But we can all be better than that negative aspect - we can all be better than poverty, better than that mindset of 'this is what it is and that's all it's gonna be.' When you get that mindset to know that there's more to do, that you can be better than what you accept on that baseline, then you will feel good to grow too. That advice helped feed my motivation to go, and it helped me feel secure knowing I'm not doing nothing wrong. They tell me I talk too much, but I'm actually helping people. They tell me I'm doing too much, but I'm actually helping people. There's more that you can do instead of trying to attack people like me that just want to help.

I would say don't let nothing stop you, and make sure you be humble to know that as you go forward, it's not about getting praises for what you can do for people - it's about you doing it even if you're not seen. You can make the biggest impact for people behind the scenes, and that's what's important. A struggle doesn't mean that it's impossible. A challenge means there's something for you to overcome so that you can be an inspiration to others. Be sensitive with the different situations that people go through, because you have to be careful of how you approach things. You can either be perceived as negative when you come off in a manner that's forceful, or you can be received willingly when you come off as understanding. Let people make their decision - present yourself, and it's up to them to accept it. Don't feel like a failure when you feel rejected, because sometimes people don't know how to receive what is necessary for them because they have to go through trauma. Don't you allow that to stop you from moving forward, because you never know who could come back and might want your help, or you could just keep it moving forward until you get in touch with those who want to receive your help. Don't be afraid to be a leader.