For the third quarter of FY21 we would like to recognize Shawna Wilson for Living the Mission of CHOICES. She doesn’t shy away from working with tough teens, she effortlessly shows compassion, and invests in helping them reach their potential. This quality has helped her excel as the Bridges Supervisor.
Offering support isn’t just a job duty for Shawna, she truly cares about current and former youth. Most recently, she has started her internship with home-based families and has shown great insight on working with her families. She has been able to commit to her families during her internship while growing the Bridges program. Bridges is not an easy program to manage, there is incredible oversight, it is sometimes challenging to get kids enrolled and Shawna’s hard work has helped maintain CHOICES excellent reputation in service delivery.
Shawna recently faced the challenge of having to build a new team while simultaneously doubling the Bridges census within 30 days due to new legislation. A task that would send many running for the hills. However, knowing the true need young people have because of the effects of the pandemic, she gave it her all. She worked to develop a staffing plan and asked for guidance and support when needed from other CHOICES staff. She continues to train Bridges staff and advocates for transitional age youth.
During her time at CHOICES Shawna has worked with some difficult youth, there is no quit mentality with Shawna in trying to help them succeed. Without a doubt, Shawna is exactly what our young people need during this stage of their life. Recently she helped a foster youth who a difficult discharge from foster care and fell into homelessness. Shawna did not give up on getting her enrolled in Bridges. We commend Shawna for putting the needs of youth and families first with a positive attitude.
