everyone has a story to tell and for
several years we have been going from
community to community to capture them
many people of all ages have joined our
digital storytelling workshops to share
with us that one moment that has changed
them or made a difference in their life
this workshop is more than just the
process of making a video it can help
them capture and share a powerful
message and remind them that they are
not alone our community has let their
voice be heard through our collection of
digital stories we encourage everyone to
tell their own story to get you started
here's some inspiration Daisy one of the
first workshops that I did with you I
was facilitating for the first time and
the process of a workshop it's powerful
and one of the powerful parts is sharing
your story especially when we share in a
story circle and you're getting feedback
from other of the members talk to me
about why you chose to share the
particular story that we're going to be
showing I originally intended it to
speak to my son about the time I wasn't
there in his life where I was
incarcerated and in time it turned into
sharing with people that I know and
community members and that kind of stuff
it's a real powerful story and I know
that sometimes it's not easy to kind of
share that side of you so how was it for
you to share this story with strangers
really it was freeing because I feel a
lot of going shame I felt like I
contributed to some of the negativity in
my neighborhood when I was released and
I seen some of the little kids in my
neighborhood now all grown up teenagers
doing things that I was doing to survive
and I felt like I contributed to that
and sharing it helped me free myself
from that guilt and shame and also free
myself from the game shame of not being
there for my son what do you think that
this story will do for other community
members that are going to view it I hope
that it reflects or helps others
understand that
that lifestyle doesn't define us and it
shouldn't be all that we strive to be
sometimes you like myself you use it as
an experienced a stepping stone to
achieve bigger and better things and I
hope that if anything to get out of my
story I hope is that and they realize
that they're really not going to get
anywhere let's take a look at your story
july 4th 2009 was the beginning of my
new life I was released from County Jail
after three years of incarceration I was
scared it was nerve-racking the unknown
made me really nervous I had to deal
with stereotypes and that I was
considered a part of them it wasn't easy
I am a woman with a lengthy criminal
record I'm a Latina woman I am a single
mother living in low-income housing and
I do not have a college degree some of
the stereotypes or that I've been in
jail so I must be a prostitute or a drug
addict I've been locked up so I must be
a neglectful mother I must be living off
the state I do not know who my baby's
father is I must be ignorant those
stereotypes do not define me I'm a good
person I did not sell drugs as I wanted
to I saw drugs so they had to survive
I'm a good mother to my son in my nephew
I'm there when they need me I was
present for homework an appointment I
was involved in their education
alongside their teachers and counselors
my son's never wanted for nothing I love
my children and my grandmother dearly I
felt like a loser when I was sentenced
and I seen my grandmother's face flush
red with tears rolling down her eyes
then three years later when I was
released the smile that lit my
grandmother's face brought joy to my
heart my son's welcoming arms reinforced
my wanting to change my lifestyle I
faced many obstacles after getting my
family's acceptance I thought I was good
to go I surely realize that the
employment world was less welcoming I'm
also having a tough time receiving
affordable housing truth is some of us
are born with privilege and others are
not like an invisible knapsack those are
not will do anything to achieve the
American dream some choose hard work and
dedication working a nine-to-five while
others do it the easy way working the
streets or selling drugs so 2009 you
made this powerful story tell us a
little bit about where you are now a
long way away from there um um I have my
son back finally him and I lived
together um my grandma's still very
supportive in my life and in both of
ours I'm due to graduate next year from
college with a bachelors in social work
I intend to move on to springfield
college with a to their dual degree with
them Western New England and I'm really
active in the elms community I'm trying
to be pioneer in diversity clubs and I
do a lot of community work and a lot of
volunteer work I now I got a job even
though it's on the elms campus is still
you know I'm employed and now i'm just
trying to push for my son to go to
college and not waste this time like i
did how does it feel watching this story
where you were then to the moment that
you are in right now emotional but proud
emotional I'm not one to say oh I'm
doing this I'm doing that I stay
grounded remember where I came from
remember those cold nights and sells
missing my kid um I just I think it's
great that you are brave enough to share
the story and I think it's wonderful
that other people in the community can
see where you were and all the progress
that you've made now and I think it's a
very important story to share what do
you have any advice or what you have to
say to any people that may be in the
situation that you were in don't give up
just like you fought on the streets you
fight for your life you fight for your
family's life and you set goals you meet
those you set other ones especially for
the Hispanic Latino community you set
other ones and you keep breaking
stereotypes and you keep proving that we
are not what people say we are and we
are bigger and better than what these
stereotypes label us to me
you