Sherena's Story
Well how do I start ……
My name is Sherena Sanders. I am here to hopefully inspire someone today!
I am a mom first and foremost and also a long time student here at east west, and I mean long time! I started here many years ago and then life started happening to me over and over.
When I first started here my kids didn’t exist, and my sister was 2yrs old. Ok let’s speed it up …..my mom got sick and I took on the responsibility at a young age to raise my sister, so I tried my best to go school, work, and raise my little sister. I made my mom a promise I would make sure she was good and don’t worry.
Life again: I had my own kids - well, a set of twins - in 2004. Yep, they are 18 now. In 2004 mom was still sick, and I pushed as hard as I could, and eventually I had to withdraw.
I returned and graduated with my associates in 2014, and this was also the same year I lost my mom ... My world just crashed on me, dark cold hateful and lost ….. I couldn’t do anything being so depressed but I had to remember what I promised my mom, so here I am watching my sister Sherrell cross the East West graduation stage with her bachelor degree.
Now I am facing how hard it is to return to school, but here I am, a mom of 5: 2 sets of twins and my little munchkin. I'm proud to be here returning, yet losing another person close to my heart, the only strength I had left: my grandmother. But I'm here and I won’t stop until I receive my bachelors in English. I want to pursue a career with Chicago public schools to help assist special needs children.
My advice is keep going, don't stop! Life is going to keep going so should you…
See you at graduation!