JUSTICE IMPACTED, PURPOSE DRIVEN
My background
In July 2009, I walked out of prison with a second chance and a decision to make: What would I do with it?
I chose purpose.
Today, I use my voice, my story, and my platform to remind people that a person's past does not have to determine their future.
Through speaking engagements, community initiatives, prison visits, mentorship, storytelling, and advocacy, I share an honest message about accountability, redemption, resilience, and the power of second chances. I speak with people who are currently incarcerated, people preparing to return home, families affected by incarceration, young people, and communities working to create opportunities for those who are rebuilding their lives.
I understand that reentry is about more than walking out of a prison gate. It is about finding employment, rebuilding relationships, restoring confidence, navigating stigma, and learning how to believe in yourself again.
That is why I believe representation matters.
When I walk into a prison, I am not simply telling people where I am today. I am showing them that transformation is possible. When I speak to a young person, I want them to understand that one mistake does not have to become their entire story. When I work with organizations focused on reentry and second chances, I bring both personal experience and a commitment to helping create meaningful opportunities.
My journey has given me a perspective that cannot be taught in a classroom.
I know what it feels like to have people make assumptions about who you are based on your past. I also know what it feels like to fight to become someone your past never predicted.
Today, I am a media personality, host, author, actress, producer, speaker, and community advocate. But perhaps one of the most meaningful roles I carry is being a living example of what can happen when someone is given another opportunity and chooses to use it.
I don't share my story for sympathy.
I share it because someone needs to hear it.
Someone sitting behind a prison wall.
Someone preparing to come home.
Someone who made a mistake and believes their life is over.
Someone who has been judged by their past.
Someone trying to rebuild.
I want them to know:
Your past may be part of your story, but it does not have to be the end of it.
I was given a second chance.
Now, I use my second chance to help others believe they deserve one too.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
I have been invited to share my story and message of redemption, resilience, and second chances in a variety of settings, including South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) facilities, Georgia state correctional institutions, SCI Muncy in Pennsylvania, SCI Phoenix, juvenile detention centers, high schools, colleges and universities, churches, reentry programs, community organizations, and professional events. I have also been invited y the United States Government to speak at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. My speaking opportunities have also included a keynote address at a Virginia College graduation, speaking engagements with the South Carolina Youth Challenge Academy, Appling Integrated Treatment Facility and more. All invitations to share my experience directly with community members that need, or need to understand, the importance of second chances. In April 2026, I toured several Georgia state prisons as part of Second Chance Month, and on July 19, 2026, I was invited to speak at SCI Muncy--the same prison I served time at 17 years ago. Each invitation gives me another opportunity to use the life I rebuilt to encourage someone else to believe that their circumstances, mistakes, or past do not have to determine their future.
THE SECOND CHANCE SUMMIT
The Second Chance Summit Atl is every year in April. I am proud to be one-third of the founding team and the official host of the summit each year, helping bring together individuals, organizations, community leaders, advocates, and resources focused on the realities of incarceration, reentry, rehabilitation, and rebuilding. Through the summit, we create space for honest conversations, meaningful connections, education, and access to resources for people whose lives have been impacted by the justice system. Being part of the leadership and hosting of this annual event allows me to use my voice and lived experience in a way that goes beyond telling my story. It gives me an opportunity to help create pathways for others who are working toward their own second chance.