Resilience in action Feat. Dawsher Charles

Resilience noun

re·​sil·​ience | \ ri-ˈzil-yən(t)s \

Definition of resilience

1 : the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress

2 : an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change

Throughout life, adversities crop up to test us, which may result in two outcomes. We either become defeated and decide to give up or we transform into a stronger version of ourselves. Dawsher Charles, known best as the Founder of Survival Scholars- was no stranger to adversities. Her response to the trials in her life, led to her shifting paradigms in how mental health, education and advocacy are understood. Although her life had its unique struggles, she pushed past that to create memorable and hopeful experiences for students, in particular. This blog highlights how relationships played a part in shaping Dawsher's trajectory, how she lives out a mandate of resilience and showcases the legacy that she is passing on to thousands of children.

The relationships that you engage in do have an impact on you. Some of those relationships are pursued and some are by default. Dawsher mentions that her parents, peers and teachers significantly impacted her journey. The dynamics with her parents were interesting. She grew up in a single-parent home where she was raised by her father as her mother lived in another country. She described growing up without a mother as being 'weird'. She felt alienated and could not relate to her peers who had a maternal presence in their lives. Being raised solely by her father brought with it many lessons and hardships; such as being both physically and emotionally abused by her father. He would embarrass her publicly and call her names, which took a toll on her self-esteem and mental health. She also recalls assisting him with his business after school- selling pudding in San Juan, which led to her being bullied by classmates. At that time, she sought comfort in her friends. Some of her peers cheered her on and told her at least she was making money while one friend, who was close with her at that time, planted seeds in her head about running away and engaging in other unsavory activities. She admits that she almost got caught up with that lifestyle as the thought of running away seemed enticing. She, however, developed alternative coping mechanisms that allowed her to remain on the right path. In the latter half of her Secondary school journey, her father passed away which created a state of uncertainty in Dawsher's life, as you can imagine. It was her teachers that provided some well-needed support to her and helped her to remain focused during that time. With guidance from her teachers, she was able to do well in her examinations and even received an award that further outlined her destiny. She was presented with the Maya Angelou Award, which was given to students that embodied the term resilience.

That’s just a glimpse into Dawsher’s background and some of the trials she faced growing up but she is by no means a victim. Dawsher has assimilated the term resilience by owning her story, sharing her journey with others and creating a safe space for young minds. Yes, she is proud of her scars and has accepted who she is and where she came from. The comfort by which she told painful parts of her story demonstrates her growth and acceptance. She credits what happened to her as a child as being the impetus for launching her organization Survival Scholars. When she came to terms with this being her purpose, she invested everything that she had into it- her money, time, energy, etc. and became very insistent on continuously improving upon what she offered to students. To build her competence, she pursued multiple courses and certificate programs that focused on areas like mental health and education. She intuits that there are many children out there that suffer in silence and may not know where to turn to for support, which reiterates the importance of her work. She utilizes her story to highlight how choices affect the course of one's life, how important it is to take care of one’s mental health and she creates an inclusive space that celebrates different forms of intelligence. She sees the education system as having a deficit when it comes to the provision of these things and has made it her duty to fill these gaps.

In 2017, while pursuing her degree in Finance and Economics at the University of the West Indies, she launched Survival Scholars via social media. From there it evolved to working with organizations and schools to offer students a support system that complimented what is offered in the educational system. Her organization teaches children effective coping mechanisms, celebrate their unique gifts and talents, and provide them with great examples of resilience so in time they can implement healthy coping mechanisms and by extension healthy parenting styles. Dawsher’s vision is to break the cycle of toxic parenting by positively shaping young minds while they are still very impressionable. Through mediums like puppet parties, videos, art therapy, play therapy, poetry therapy, etc. she helps students discover alternative learning methods and provide pragmatic ways to treat trauma. She mentions that the topic of how good children are at hiding things is still somewhat taboo. She indicated the ease at which engaging in different forms of abuse like self-mutilation, promiscuity, alcohol and drug abuse occurs when attention is not paid to children. She hopes the impression her organization makes on the students she interacts with helps them to develop unwavering confidence in themselves and aid in them making good choices when social pressures are looming.

She is far from finished with the work that she is doing. Even as I write, she has major plans that are well underway. These plans include creating a student hub for young people. This platform will provide support to even more students and help them tap into the resilience inside of them. When asked about the most fulfilling part of what she does, she gushes,

“It’s the kids for me and watching their journey.”

She pointed out that they are so open and such true, untainted representations of themselves at that age. She strives to make a lasting impression on them that can help them develop a secure sense of self and help them to make the best decisions to reap success regardless of what life may throw at them. Dawsher is such an outstanding, positive, kind, and brave woman who truly embodies the term 'Resilient warrior'! This is her story and that is the legacy she hopes to pass on to the people she encounters. Now, my question to you: How do you want to be remembered?