Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Evalena Matlock-Corley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Evalena thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

If someone asked me if I consider myself a risky person, I would immediately say “NO!” However, when giving it just a minute of thought–my life story says otherwise. Let me tell you how.
I was raised in East Cleveland, Ohio. Though once a fine suburb of Cleveland, inhabited by millionaires, it was far from fine when I left in 1997. Many buildings had been worn down, burned, or diminished in one way or the other. The citizens were poor and often unable to keep up their homes. The school district had ranked at the bottom of the state rankings for 10 years in a row by the time I graduated. I knew that this wasn’t where I wanted to live forever. Getting away would mean pursuing my studies in a way that would land me a scholarship because my parents didn’t have any money. It would also mean entering a space that was different from my all-black community where people looked out for you even when you didn’t know them.

Risk #1: I pursued my education, got the grades, volunteered regularly and in 1997 I packed my bags to attend Ohio University on a full scholarship. Sometimes risks are just doing what you think you can do without being certain of how to do them.

After I graduated from Ohio University with a BSc and MEd five years later, I found love and married a few weeks after graduation. My husband and I struggled, on his parents’ dime, for months. He worked part-time and I found a full-time job that paid a whopping 28K per year. Finally, around month 10 my husband was offered two jobs. One in New Jersey and the other in Ontario, Canada. After reviewing them both and visiting both cities, his thoughts were clear. New Jersey paid 35K and was in a rough part of town and the job in Ontario paid more than twice as much and was in a community where we would like to raise a family. I wasn’t so sure about this. When we visited I was concerned because it was white. Not white like Ohio University…you can always find a group of students of colour there. In a four-day weekend, we couldn’t fill up 10 fingers with the number of black people we saw. I think we made it to 8.

Risk #2: Two months later, we packed up our few belongings and embarked on this adventure called life. We celebrated our first anniversary in Canada, bought our first home, had both of our daughters and really built a great life here. We really enjoy it here now, of course, over the years the number of folks that look like us has greatly improved. Taking a risk can mean stepping out of that place where you are comfortable and trying something totally new…it may work out better than you expected.

After many years in Canada and having my first daughter, it became clear to me that I was ready for a career change from Higher Ed to something else…anything else. Due to complications, I had during my daughter’s birth, I was sent a social worker who was supposed to help me identify resources I might need in recovery. She was not helpful. I feel she was not helpful because I was a black woman in a new house with furniture. She didn’t see that I had no family close by or that I was unfamiliar with systems in this country. I decided that people who look like me deserve help too. I applied and was accepted to an MSW program and for 2 years with 2 toddlers, that was my mission. Upon graduating, I was sad and annoyed that people with a social work degree were routinely offered $15-25 per hour, maybe $40 part-time as a therapist. By this time I was 38 years old with two little ladies to show up for and making pocket change was not gonna work.

Risk # 3: I started my own private practice in mental health therapy focusing on healing and helping black men and women. Sometimes you take a risk because not taking the risk is simply not a viable option. Not only was it necessary for me to be happy in my work, but black folks and mental healthcare is a real need.

“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”

Muhammad Ali

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a 43-year-old black woman from East Cleveland, Ohio. I know what struggle looks like and I am lucky enough to know what it looks like when you give someone a smidgen of hope. I’ve always been the girl who would sit down in the mall hoping for a little quiet, only to have someone come and share with me their entire life story. For my 2nd career act, I decided to study and practice social work. When it was clear that working with an agency was not financially feasible, I started my own private practice, Matlock Corley Community Solutions. We focus on providing therapy and coaching to black folks focusing on what works best for them. Whether they want to quote scriptures, laugh, or dance it out we give our clients what works best for them.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

This is my second career, and I would absolutely choose it again. Would I make it #1? Absolutely not. I think I learned so much in my youth and gained experience which makes me a better social worker/ therapist than I could have at 25.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I grew up with limits. Money was limited, things were limited, and there was always a reason to hold on. A few months ago, I looked in my linen closet and I couldn’t help but think “Why is all this stuff crowded in here?” I did not like it. I emptied the closet of everything I don’t use; a few sets of sheets, a few towels, soap, lotion, and face masks. I was happier than I had been in months. By recognizing that I am not limited, I lifted a huge burden not only out of my closet but off of my shoulders.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/matlockcorley
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matlockcorley
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matlockcorley/
• Website: www.matlockcorley.com

Image Credits
Headshot: Shannon Lodenquai