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

Teneice, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?

I have two heroes: Justin McEwen and Edward McEwen. These are the names of my sons. They are my reasons why I do the work that I do and how I move accordingly in life. My sons were born with challenges. Justin has ADHD, PNES (Pseudo Non-Epileptic Seizures), and Cognitive Disability. Edward has ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome (ASD), and Anxiety. When they were younger, I was told that they had challenges but nobody offered any assistance other than put them on medicine. Now not to say that is a bad thing BUT it is not the ONLY solution to a situation. Life was and still is different for them, however, they are so brave and do not let that get them down. They have both graduated from high school with diplomas. Justin who is also known as Sean Nation is a freelance photographer. Edward is AMAZING at graphic design. My sons never give up and they do not allow me to give up either. We push each other to be the best versions of ourselves. When I feel I cannot do something, they remind me of how I helped them and they tell me if it had not been for me, who only knows where they would be. To hear those words and feel the energy behind that is beyond amazing and so blessed. I do what I do because I was not given a choice when it came to their lives and education. I knocked on those doors, I called those offices, and I showed up so people KNEW they had a parent that was serious about her children. The work I do as a Special Education Educator/Advocate/Educational Coach is because I wanted to make sure someone showed up for other children. The ones who stood up for them were few and far between. I was not about to let that happen with another child, not if I could help it and so I became who I am and I do what I do.

Teneice, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

As I stated before, my sons are the very reasons to why I am in the field of Education. I had to make sure that home and school connected to give my sons a fighting chance in life. For a whole year I was a volunteer teaching assistant in their Elementary School because the teacher who has great at what she did, was transferred to another school. To say that did not sit right with me is and UNDERSTATEMENT. It became clear that I could not let that go unanswered. At the time I was married and an at home mom. I explained to the Principal at the school that I needed to volunteer to make sure my sons got what they needed. Now I need to be very clear, the teacher that my oldest son had during a parent teacher conference told me not to expect my son to go to college. Needless to say that was the very wrong thing to say to me about my child, hence me being at the school when my sons were at school.

I need people to understand that you are your child’s FIRST and some times ONLY advocate for what is best for them. You cannot leave that to chance with a strangers that interact with them (or not) 7 and a half hours a day. When you become a parent it is NO LONGER ABOUT YOU. Now add in if your child has special/exceptional needs. It is so easy to get stuck in the “Why me Lord” phase…but you CANNOT SIT THERE. You have to GET UP. You have to make sure that your child has WHATEVER they will need to not only SURVIVE but to THRIVE as well. I understood that when I had my sons. I also understood that I would not have the easiest walk as their parent. However, I was fine with that and I was not prepared to fight as I did /do for them…but life will make you a ready contender with the right circumstances.

Diligence, tenacity, knowledgeable, dedicated, honest, truthful, supportive, thorough, and vigilant are a few words that describe how I am and who I am because of what my children mean to me. Their future then and now was nor has EVER been up for debate. I want parents and businesses to know that when we work together, it is for the best outcomes for the child/family/community/business. It is not about my bottom line however it is considered. I am in the business of helping people/families/children/communities begin to develop these legacies in which success looks different but it is measured by progression. Cultivating and curating designed involvement strategies create spaces for purposed and missional evolvement. What do I mean by missional evolvement? When you ask your child what does he/she want to be when they grow up, you have accepted a mission. It is up to you to begin scripting and sculpturing what those experiences can and should look like to achieve maximum impact. There has never been a successful coach of any sport who has not had a playbook of tired and true strategies. Why should parenting be any different?

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

I think as an established educational professional in my field that helps with growing my clientele. Plus, families that i have worked with before will refer me to other families based on the service I give them. Therefore, I make sure I give the most optimal service I can give.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Before becoming a parent, I wanted to be a computer system analysis. All of my classes that I had taken in high school to my first year in college had been computer technology based. I wanted the nice corner office and to make about 65,000.00 a year to fix computer system problems. However, when I got pregnant with my first son and I was told as he developed about the issues he had, it became very clear that dream would not come true. I am glad it did not come true because teaching is the career that I did not know I would love so much.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.humansbecomingllc.com/
• Instagram: @humansbecomingllc
• Facebook: Humans Becoming LLC
• Twitter: @Educa1Passion

Image Credits
Sean Nation