"Breaking the Cycle of Incarceration"

As I look back over my life, I see a story laced with God’s mercy and unexplainable grace. I was a teenage runaway, chasing love and validation in all the wrong places. The streets of Charlotte became my home, and I surrounded myself with people who were just as lost as I was—drug dealers, users, thieves, and even murderers. I wasn’t afraid of the chaos; in fact, I embraced it. I thought that being seen by those around me meant I mattered.

In my brokenness, I left my one-year-old son behind to run the streets, desperate to fill a void that only God could truly fill. I made choices that could have easily landed me behind bars or worse, but even in my recklessness, God covered me. I barely escaped a prison sentence, and that moment became a turning point in my life. That’s when I began to realize just how powerful God’s mercy truly is.

By His grace, I got my life back on track. I went back to school, reclaimed my role as a mother, and raised my son with everything I had. The years I spent hustling and surviving taught me resilience, strategy, and boldness—skills I never knew would prepare me to thrive in corporate America. What the enemy meant for evil, God truly turned around for my good.

I am so grateful not only to have overcome adversity, but to now be in a position where God is using me to pour into the lives of young adults. I get to help them rewrite their own stories, equipping them with practical skills and showing them that no matter how far they've strayed, redemption is possible. I’m living proof that your past doesn’t define you—God’s purpose does.