“One of life’s hardest lessons became one of life’s greatest lessons.”

Last year was one of the hardest years of my life. Since my parents separated, I had been living with my father in Clarksville. During that time, he and I had developed a very strong father/daughter bond. Now I had to leave my dad and move in with my mom who lives in Chattanooga. Moving away from my dad was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. He taught me so much of what I know about life.

One of his greatest lessons was how to choose friends. While I was living with him, I was going through a phase where I constantly chose the wrong group of friends. My dad really spent a lot of time talking to me about the importance of choosing good friends and the impact they could have on my life. I listened and I tried to make changes, but I really didn’t appreciate what he had taught me until I moved to Chattanooga to be with my mother and sister.

Here I was, starting at a new school in the middle of my freshman year of high school. I’m a pretty shy person so this wasn’t something I was real enthused about. I had managed to make one, really good friend who I thought was a good influence. She encouraged me to join the Life On Point group she was involved in at school.

Despite the fact I had started to make friends, I still felt a little lost. I was searching for that group who I knew would support me. One Friday morning during our club time at school I finally gave into my friend’s pleas to attend a Life On Point group with her. Being so shy, meeting new people was a struggle at first.

After attending a couple of classes, I quickly realized that being a part of the Life On Point group was a good thing for me. This was a place where I could get support from my peers, as well as advice and mentoring from the adult leaders. The result? I gained more insight into the importance of positive versus negative influences when it comes to making friends and healthy decisions about my life.

Last fall I decided to step out of my comfort zone. I wanted to become a member of On Point’s teen board. I had heard they were a great group of people who were really focused on doing the right thing. Plus, one of my best friends, Chris, really pushed me to join, too. Much to my surprise, I was accepted! Thanks to the support I’ve received from On Point, my mother, sister and father, I finally feel like I’m on the right track.

Shaunte currently has a 4.0 GPA. She is actively involved in the marching and concert band and is also a member of the HOSA club at school. In addition, Shaunte is a member of the track team, where she is a sprinter. After high school, Shaunte plans on attending either UTC or UT to study Neonatal nursing.

Mary Davis - This is My Story. Shaylind - This is My Story. Sarah - This is My Story. Chris - This is My Story.

AJ - This is My Story. Ally - This is My Story. Torrey - This is My Story. Kianna - This is My Story.

Katie - This is My Story. Bria - This is My Story. Jaylen - This is My Story. Adrianne - This is My Story.

Marissa - This is My Story. Victorious - This is My Story. Savannah - This is My Story.