Student Spotlight: Shanta’s stroke prompted her to seek GED
[This article was written by Intern Erika Scharf. She attends Oberlin College.]
When you walk into the classroom at Seeds East, you might see Shanta Moore, hard at work studying or making friends with the new people that came in. Either way, you’ll be able to tell it’s her from her bright smile and the magical look in her eyes when she’s in the classroom.
Shanta (“Call me Tay”) has found her purpose at Seeds of Literacy. Seeds has given her a safe, encouraging environment where she can be the best version of herself—and keep striving for more.
“It’s so much deeper than the GED now. I want to go to college. I want to elevate on so many different levels,” she says excitedly. “I find myself fussing at Mary [Oelker, the Site Coordinator at Seeds East]. She says “That’s not on the GED,” but I don’t care if it’s on the GED. I still want to know.”
Tay, 47, is from Cleveland Ohio. She had her children young. The first one, she says, was a surprise. Then, she had Irish twins, born one year apart. Like many young parents, she had to focus on taking care of her children before her education.
“I had three by age 21. We grew up together, and it wasn’t easy for us. Raising them, I put my education on hold,” she explains. “When they were younger, I tried to go back a couple of times but it didn’t happen. They were young and so close to me.”
Shanta made sure all of her children graduated from high school. Now, it’s her turn. “ I’m so proud of them. The goal is for them to be proud of me.”
DERAILED BY A STROKE
Shanta had worked as a bartender for 10 years in Columbus before moving back to Cleveland. She needed to be closer for her mom after her brother’s sudden passing. Here, she found factory work, something she was skilled at for about 6 years, until something changed her life forever—she had a stroke.
“I was no longer able to do physical labor, and that’s all I had known at the time. That left me to a place where it was hard, thinking ‘Oh my God, what am I gonna do now? All I’ve known over the years is to work with my body.’”
After her stroke, Tay was referred to Signature Health Services. She was given a case manager to help her with her high anxiety and hopefully to further prevent a stroke.
“The case manager asked me, ‘What’s your goal?’ I said, ‘To get my GED,’ and she gave me a list of options, and there was Seeds.”
SEEDS INSPIRED HER CONFIDENCE
One of the most admirable and amiable things about Tay is her confidence in herself. She knows she is smart and talented, and she, above anyone else, is proud of how far she has come.
“I know a lot,” she says proudly. “I am very versatile and diverse. That’s what makes me a social butterfly. I have a lot of stuff under my belt”
But it hasn’t always been this way, Tay explains.
“Since I have been at Seeds taking my assessments, the memory of not knowing my multiplication facts or division always makes me think of how far I’ve come. Now I’m doing all of it with fractions and percentages. It shows I have made so much progress. I have learned so many new ways to learn. ”
Like many people, math was her adversary. Now, she has grown to accept it. “I always loved reading. So reading has always been my strong suit. But I’m a little more friendlier with math than I was.”
Tay cites the support from the Seeds staff and tutors as something that has made her learning experience exceptional. “Seeds has so many great tutors. I’ve met a lot of super people and have had a lot of new experiences,” she says. “I got my confidence back.”
FINDING HER PURPOSE
Tay is now a Student Ambassador, representing Seeds of Literacy at different community events. Through this role at Seeds, she has found her purpose and her dream: public speaking.
“I had always wanted to be a motivator and a speaker. It has always been something I’ve been passionate about, but was never around positive people to encourage me and push me to fulfill my dream,” she says.
“Seeds has given the platform to do that with the Student Ambassador Program. Going out in the community and telling my story and just motivating people to do better and be better and bettering themselves. I just love the fact that it gives me public speaking. I go in the public and I advocate for the program to bring more students in. And I go and I talk at student orientation. I just love it. It’s one of my favorite things to do.”
Tay hopes that through her role as a Student Ambassador, she can use her story to encourage other people to find what speaks to them.
“It’s purpose. We all have our purpose.”
PROUDEST MOMENT
Though Tay is her own biggest supporter, she has a beautiful support system within her family. “My kids are so proud of me. And my mom, she has been a wonderful support throughout my journey. We are each other’s rock.”
For Tay, her proudest moment is finding her purpose and fighting that stroke.
“Being able to do what I’m doing right now, because you know, I’m blessed. Not too many people can say, oh, I had a stroke, and look at me, I’m talking, I’m walking. I can sit here and comprehend everything you’re saying, that I’m saying. So I did it. Yay me!”
Yay indeed!
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