Twenty-four-year-old Brittany Tunstalle shared her story about overcoming being in a domestic violence relationship.
“A few short years ago I was involved with a man who was tearing me down, mentally, emotionally, and physically,” Tunstalle said. “I was blinded by love, or should I say what I knew to be love at that time. I was a victim of being in a domestic violent relationship. Today, I am stronger than I’ve ever been and I’m in love with myself like never before. I’m blessed to say that I’m alive, living good, and happy.”
Chayla Carter is 25-year-old single mother, dealing with the hardship of parenthood, while the father of her child is incarcerated.
“Two years ago, I went through one of the darkest times of my life. I felt so alone, hopeless, and borderline depressed,” Carter said. “Being a young parent can be a struggle, but life overall is a struggle. I’ve been 100 percent dedicated to being a great role model to my child. In spite of it all I went back to school, where I will soon be receiving my Bachelors degree from Carlow University and shortly after will embark on a business/entrepreneurship opportunity. All I want is for my baby to be proud of me.”
Lincoln University graduate and current University of Pittsburgh Dental student Darah Doubt Swinton overcame low self-esteem, heartbreak and traveled an incredible weight loss journey, losing a total of 103 pounds.
“Most of my life I struggled with self esteem issues,” Doubt said. “Constantly questioning my exterior appearance and how I looked through the eyes of others, mostly because of my body shape. So I decided to make the decision to get Gastric Bypass Surgery, and choose to live a healthier lifestyle with exercise and better eating habits. My physical appearance adds to my beauty. It is literally the last layer of Darah, and what makes me who I am. I give God all the glory, honor, and praise for where I am now.”
Arising registered nurse, and current student of Carlow University, Donneisha Brown spoke on her trials and tribulations she faced within her life and family.
“Growing up, I never really felt like I had the greatest role models, but regardless I knew that I wanted to be the greatest person I could be,” Brown said. “Which is why I work so hard. I put my all into work and school, and I’m the best at everything I set out to do. I know God has big things in store for me and I won’t stop until I get it.”
Cherie Olivis, a successful young Black woman who studied for her Bachelors degree on a full ride scholarship at Slippery Rock University and will also be pursuing her Masters Degree at Georgia State University in the fall on a full scholarship as well, expressed her views.
“I spent 15 years in the Foster care system, and having to bounce around quite frequently from group home to group home,” Olivis said. “And I must say that, it was hard. Living with so many young girls, and dealing with so many different personalities. Today, I’m proud to say that I won’t be labeled a statistic by choosing to pursue my Masters Degree. And I’m only 24.”
Teacher and business owner Chelsea Glover said, “Wanting to seek a career as a beautician has been a dream of mine for longer than I can remember. I can still remember my father’s reaction when I expressed that I wanted to do hair for a living. He wasn’t necessarily on board with it. Today, I’m proud to say that I am a teacher impacting the lives of our youth, and the owner of Fahrenheit The Evolution Hair Salons.”
Leah Taylor, a recent kidney transplant recipient expressed how it changed her life.
“I suddenly found out that my kidneys had failed, I had to immediately be placed on the kidney transplant waiting list. God decided to bring me back down to reality. Not only did my appearance change, but so did my life. I thought I was going to be sitting in dialysis three to four times a week for the next three to five years, but in 35 days I received the call that there was a kidney available for me,” Taylor said.
Dalynn Jones, once found herself trapped in the middle of a hectic lifestyle, living life on the edge, and dealing with the wrong crowd of friends. Now she is dedicated to her relationship with God, being a wife, and a mother.
“A few years ago I quickly found myself caught in the midst of some serious trouble. It was around the time I was employed at a local grocery store, and found myself befriending some co-workers I should have never chose to hang out with. Things quickly spun outta control due to some poor decisions I made. Now fast-forwarding to the woman I am today. I am a woman of God, I am a mother, a wife, a career bounded-educated woman, and I am strong.”
Tazz Jones, mother of Maliyah Denise Jones spoke out about a mother’s love and challenges her daughter, Maliyah, to fight through cancer.
“My daughter Maliyah Denise Jones was diagnosed with cancer May 3, 2012. She has stage 4 Neuroblastoma. She’s currently in hospice care, and we were recently told that they don’t know a time frame of her life span, but they don’t believe that it will be very long. My baby is strong. And I thank God for her and every moment we share.”
Like us at https://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Pittsburgh-Courier/143866755628836?ref=hl
Follow @NewPghCourier on Twitter https://twitter.com/NewPghCourier
About Post Author
