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powers would you have?
To change the divide in the world so everyone loves each other.
What is some of the advice you share with young women entering a male-dominated profession?
Don’t be afraid to speak your mind or bring your ideas to the table. If a male ever makes you feel like you are inferior to them, it’s just because they are intimidated by you so keep going girl and do your thing.
Where will we see you in the future?
Right now I’m just taking life one day at a time, raising my babies, being a wife, working a full time job and running my husbands business. Who knows what blessings the future will hold for my family.
{ SHIFT+CONTROL{ ALL ACCESS} } THE GREAT, THE GOOD, AND THE DOWNRIGHT AWFUL
BY DR SHANELLE BENSON REID
LIFE HAPPENS
Another day filled with frustration, long hours, and very little sleep. I know at some point, it is going to get easier, just not today. I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel but right now it feels like a freight train! in areas of Education, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Cultural Competency, Social Awareness, Equity and Community / Individual Empowerment. I considered my wildest dreams and I brought them to fruition.
I was never the type of person who believed I could have it all. Growing up, I remember wanting to get a good job and I decided being a pediatrician would be great. However, I did not know any pediatricians personally. But life has a way of happening and I was thrown off-course. If I am being honest, I can say, when I entered college, I was undecided. I was probably unsure of my future until entering my senior year. I decided to pursue a degree in sociology because it seemed general; basically, still undecided, undeclared, and extremely unsure. Eventually, I realized I loved sociology and from that point I knew I would attend graduate school. But like I said, life has a way of happening and my son started having academic problems. That was when I decided to become a teacher.
I love education and all my success is due to education. Earning a bachelor’s degree, a teaching credential, a master’s degree, and a doctorate, convinced me that I could accomplish anything. So, I decided to become a Consultant, Coach, Author and Professional Speaker with an expertise
ACCESS GLOBAL GROUP
The hours are long, the research in extensive and most times, I am the person most disliked in the building. Typically, people with the organization, are not overjoyed by seeing the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consultant in the building. However, consulting has been my life’s work for over ten years. When I started my business, I had dreams of grandeur. I thought people and organization would magically appear, craving advice and guidance. I was delusional! I could not afford my business the first seven years; in fact, I am surprised I was able to weather the storms. I spent a lot of time throwing spaghetti at the wall, hoping something would stick. Now, going into year twelve, I know I am here to stay. I created ACCESS Global Group to operate as the parent company of ACCESS Coaching and Consulting. ACCESS Coaching and Consulting is a firm that focuses on cultural competency, social awareness and equity in education and employment, and we are here to stay.
ACCESS DENTAL LABORATORIES
As of today, this is my greatest achievement and my greatest frustration. From angry tears to silent screams, I have never, and I mean never work so hard to bring a dream to fruition. Of course, I am fully equipped to bring this dream to reality, but words cannot detail the amount of labor required. Every day is filled with new challenges, roadblocks, and frustrations, but every day we get a day closer to fulfillment. He is Mr. Todd R. Reid, I am Dr. Shanelle R. Benson Reid and together we are ACCESS
Dental Laboratories. ACCESS Dental Laboratories is a full-service dental laboratory that specializes in the design of crowns, bridges, partials, dentures, night guards, implants, and veneers.
FRIENDS OF DR. SHANELLE
I do not have the words to honestly articulate the difficulty in running for public office. Better yet, I have the words, but I am choosing not to and advocating for the residents of District 14 and the County of Onondaga. My name is Dr. Shanelle R. Benson Reid and I’m running for Onondaga County Legislature, District 14.
GLOBAL SAGE WELLNESS
As I move to this stage of my life, I recognize my need for spiritual development and growth, yet somehow my “doing” life has not listened to my “being” life. Truthfully, every day, I hope that my businesses slow enough to allow me to fully-birth my wellness company. The hustle and bustle of owning multiple businesses has encouraged me to seek calm. I formed Global SAGE Wellness to serve as the parent company of my Health and Wellness Enterprise., my calm The Ethereal Yoga Parlour offers a wide array of yoga classes, guided mediations, and reiki sessions, while Elaborate: The Body Shoppe features, adornments, candles, lotions and potions from local artisans and Euphoria: The Jazz and Java Bistro serves plant-based cuisine options and offers plant-based nutritional programs and coaching. My health and wellness empire is in its infancy but this venture feeds my soul. share them. What I will say however, is this process is grueling, exhausting, and thankless! I made the decision to run for office in January 2021. I’ve spent most of my adult life serving and advocating for students and families, now I commit to serving
WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE
Contemplating my early years, I do not remember setting goals. I remember wanting to get good grades and working for them, I remember wanting to be in the starting lineup for basketball and I practiced daily and lastly, I remember wanting to make a decent living, so I went to college. However, I could never fathom the notion of having it all because I grew up experiencing lack. As an adult, I’ve come to learn, I may not have it all but what I know for sure is everything is possible. You may need to rest along the way, or even scream, but greatness awaits.
MRS NEW YORK AMERICA
PHOTOS BY: NEW YORK - WWW.JMOSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM I WASHINGTON, DC - WWW.HIGHERLEVELPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
This month we will feature a Q & A with the current Mrs. New York America, Jessica Fabus Cheng. Duchenne Awareness Month, so be on the lookout for that! of what I am trying to do to represent the Duchenne muscular dystrophy community and the state of New York.
Who is your greatest inspiration? Speaking of inspiration, do you have any favorite quotes you live by?
As I have gotten older, this has undergone a few changes. I’ve noticed that as my life’s journey has gone on, I find myself inspired by selfless, authentic people who just tell the truth in love and keep it real. That said, my greatest inspiration is Pat Furlong, the CEO and founder of Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy. The reason she inspires me is because she is a mom and an everyday woman who refused to take “no” for an answer when her two sons were diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Duchenne is a fatal genetic disorder that is often passed on by the mother, and when her sons were diagnosed there was not a lot of advocacy or care for these children.
Sitting around a dining room table with other families in her community, Pat formed Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, which has since become a world leader in Duchenne advocacy and is a hub for families contending with this disorder. My good friend Christine Piacentino wrote an amazing piece about Pat in this month’s magazine honoring Yes! One of my favorites is a quote by a champion of Duchenne, the
late Senator from Minnesota Paul Wellstone. He said, “Let there be no distance between the words you say and the life you live.” It is really important to me that I live an authentic and transparent life, and represent who I truly am, in pageantry and beyond. I see pageantry as a vehicle for good and for change. I want my words to reflect the reality
What do you want people to know about the Duchenne muscular dystrophy community?
I recently attended an event in Westchester called “Be Fierce Against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy for Conner” put on by the Kindness Over Muscular Dystrophy organization that took place on September 11, 2021. I believe the timing was significant, as September 11th was one of the most tragic days in history for New York and our country yet produced a level of kindness and goodwill that transcended the event.
Although Duchenne is a diagnosis, it runs along the same lines of being one of the most devastating days in a family’s life. The most important thing for people to understand about the Duchenne community is that despite getting such a devastating diagnosis you gain one of the most welcoming, open and empathetic community. People that have literally walked in fire and may currently be walking in the fire yet are somehow able to hold out a hand in support and kindness. It makes me incredibly emotional to think about and gives me hope in the human spirit. Just
when you think you are done, you are not, and far from it.
The Kindness Over Muscular Dystrophy event raised more than $258,000 for Duchenne research. And on a day that is often pretty hard for many New Yorkers, including myself and others throughout the country and the world, a group of individuals chose to come together to take action and be kind. And these are the people of the Duchenne community. This is who they are and what they do on a regular basis.
Why do you personally advocate for Duchenne muscular dystrophy?
speaking up for those that are not able to speak for themselves and supporting those that are just starting out on their personal advocacy journey. My heart is for those individuals who have the desire to advocate but don’t think that they can do it. Having a family member or child with Duchenne is very emotionally charged, as you might imagine. I often hear, “I love what you are doing in terms of advocacy, but I couldn’t do it.” In that sense, I feel like I am the bridge between their heart’s desire and reality, and this is why my platform is what it is: The Power of Your Story. Everyone has a story, and it is vitally important that our lawmakers and other people in positions of power hear the humanity behind our asks. That comes from hearing our real, human stories: the joy, the pain, the difficult things yet also the victories, and even the emotion. The emotion is not a weakness, but an absolute strength. The most empowering thing you can do is speak your heart’s desire and say what is on your mind. That is my goal as an advocate and a titleholder, to allow people in the Duchenne community and beyond the freedom to do that. But that means I must do the work first and face my personal fears with confidence. It is only after I’ve done that that I can truly serve someone else in a meaningful way.
For more information please visit: www.parentprojectmd.org www.mrsnyamerica.com
