HERE SHE IS

Never a Dull Moment I hustle between managing my rising senior’s academic affairs and search for money while doing the same for clients. There is never really a down day because scholarships are available 365 days a year, and I am striving for greatness … obtaining monies that will change the trajectory of someone’s life. a. h l awn I’ve been known to text with my students at 2:00 a.m. because they know I’m up.

ALL ROADS EDUCATION

Shawn A. Hall is a former U.S. Department of Education Program specialist who resides in Mooresville. She is a scholarship and college admissions coach and the founder of All Roads Education. e author of “Prepare Now, Don’t Pay Later,” Shawn is the mother of a high school junior, college freshman, college graduate, and elementary student. For more information, visit www.allroadseducation.com.

A Brief Introduction Originally from New York, we moved to North Carolina when I was 8, and I grew up in Greensboro. I went on to graduate from the fi rst and oldest Black college for women, Bennett College. I have four daughters: Moriah, 24; Jael, 18; Grace, 17; and Zoe, 9. I was in the education fi eld and got tired of people asking me about my credentials, so I decided to earn a second master’s degree … but this time a Master of Education. I started looking around to see what was available and I found out George Washington University had a program for those who would put an emphasis on working with students of diverse cultural backgrounds and special needs. When I realized they would foot the entire bill, I said sign me up! And that’s how I got a $40K education for zero dollars.

To Mom, With Love My mother is my inspiration. She quit her teaching job to go back to college and get a master’s degree. The crazy part is that she hadn’t even been accepted into the school (Chapel Hill). She had faith in herself and God that she could achieve it. She did and then she went on to earn her Ph.D. She was in foster care for the fi rst three years of her life and when I think of all she accomplished as a single parent, I can’t help but to be inspired. She showed me how to be an amazing mom and dedicated career woman by being a shining example.

Faith, Family, and Fortitude Jael was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy when she was 2. I thought she was having a stroke and it was a scary moment, to say the least. Through that experience, I realized how important my faith is … I have to trust God with every part of me. My life was changed again when my godson died at the age of 12 from sudden cardiac arrest. Never did I imagine myself walking one of my best friends through the death of her child. She has since launched a foundation in his honor, gabesheart.org.

Surviving the Storms There are no perfect days … something will go awry, so I plan for the unexpected and ask God to give me the grace to show myself and others mercy and kindness. I am a survivor of sexual abuse and domestic violence. I share that unapologetically because each person has wounds that you can’t see and that run deep. There were many dark days; however, I stand here today healed, victorious, and declaring “not another woman or child on my watch.” w