Assault victim readjusts to life

Alumnus survives gun violence on day commemerating death of step-father

A year ago, her stepfather was killed as a victim of gun violence. A month ago, as she commemorated him, a gun took the sight in her right eye.

These kind of hardships might stop some people, but Tanisha Saunders proves that her preaching for a positive attitude is more than just talk.

Saunders was an involved student on campus and participated in student government and in the peer mentor program while attending Pierce. In fall 2016, she was chosen to be the commencement speaker, and she spoke about overcoming her struggles and prevailing through education.

She transferred to Cal. State Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), where she is studying public policy and education.

On Wednesday, August 9, as they commemorated the death of her stepfather, Saunders, her brother Dominique, and their family friend became victims of gun violence.

The Saunders’ survived the shooting with critical wounds, but their family friend died protecting the siblings.

“I was shot in the face,” Saunders said.

Saunders lost vision in her right eye and is coping with the fact that she is now a “different-abled” person.

“I'm doing fine,” she said. “Taking it one day at a time. One moment at a time. I thought I could get back to school and start a job, but I'm dealing with a new reality. I'm just trying to rehabilitate myself and get reacclimated with my academics, my social, personal and emotional life.”

Saunders said that because her injury happened a month ago, she is still not accustomed to her new life. It is now more difficult to walk and read, she said. Though she now has to fill out disability forms, she prefers to say she is “differently-abled” because she is still processing the effects of the incident.

“I know that I have to give myself and my body more time to heal. I’m still getting adjusted to what that means, because I'm still getting to know what that means, myself,” Saunders said. “I've heard disabled, but it’s settling in. That's an emotional as well a physical task for me. Differently-abled is more comfortable to me right now as I'm coming more to term with things.”

Tanisha Saunder’s cousin La Mikia Castillo said the Saunders family is just glad that she is alive and safe. She is a strong person with a large support group of people who love her, stand by her and support her, she said.

“It’s very devastating what happened,” Castillo said. “Our family is very much against gun violence, and Tanisha and us are also very involved in Black Lives Matter. We condemn any violence against our community, within our community.”

Saunders said that her time at Pierce College reignited her curiosity for advocacy.

“I was able to explore different areas within my major and social issues such as homelessness, class matters, Black Lives Matter and education,” Saunders said.

During her last year at Pierce, she attended a financial literacy workshop at UCLA. It was in Campbell Hall that an African American student informed Saunders that she was in the hall where two members of the Black Panthers were murdered by the FBI.

“It was in this moment that I felt an out-of-body experience, where I was like, ‘Wow, this education thing is much bigger than me.’ There's a bigger opportunity for me to be involved in the community,” Saunders said. “I have the opportunity to be involved and comment and address the things that affect the things in my community on and off campus. I started to take back this passion to Pierce. I came back with this fire in me.”

Saunders said she realized that she could combine education and community and learn and teach from and within her community.

“She was an amazing student leader,” Dean of Student Engagement Juan Carlos Astorga said. “She dedicated her heart and soul to the experience of being here on campus, offering support and being a very critical figure on our campus. She left an indelible imprint on us.”