As we “wrap up” (since Black History is 365 days a year) our celebrations for Black History Month, we are honored and proud to announce our first-ever Sankofa Award Winner, our Raleigh Education Manager, Shera Everette!
We recently launched CORRAL’s Sankofa Award, an employee-nominated recognition of a CORRAL Staff Member that embodies the spirit of Sankofa in the organization. A symbol of wisdom and learning, Sankofa means “go back to the past in order to build for the future,” or we should not forget our past when moving ahead. Sankofa is a realization of self and spirit. It represents the concepts of self-identity, redefinition, and vision.
Our staff overwhelmingly celebrated Ms. Shera for consistently advocating for our youth and going above and beyond the “call of duty”, working tirelessly to ensure our black and brown girls unwind the narrative that the world provides them. As an Education Manager, Ms. Shera creates intentional spaces and activities that empower our girls, giving them a voice by addressing complex issues and working to dismantle the barriers our girls face. Not only does she transform spaces for youth, Ms. Shera consistently advocates and supports our youth in the school, building a supportive community with families, other educators, service providers, and the school system. She is also the first to call out the CORRAL team, ask hard questions, and always brings wisdom, insight, and encouragement to our entire team.
Ms. Shera is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and psychology. In 2009, she began Borrowed Pieces, which was a nonprofit organization that served teen girls in the Wilson/Rocky Mount area. Her passion for molding young people led her to the classroom, and she was a teacher and instructional coach for 11 years.
Education Managers at CORRAL are a key component to the girls’ success. These educators ensure that each child in our program is equipped with the appropriate life skills and career tools to access a bright future.
