Shawn A. Ben Story By: Karin Phillips It has been an uphill battle for Shawn Ben, struggling back from an abusive marriage to succeed and raise her two small children. But she says she's always anxious to tell her story to encourage others. When Shawn left her husband, she was all alone with no close family or friends nearby. At the insistence of her controlling husband, she had not worked in years, and in an act of almost defiant cleansing, she had thrown out all of the clothes that her husband had given her once she left him. Shawn found herself alone and on welfare, and it was then that she was referred to The Career Wardrobe. She says she immediately felt a boost in her self-esteem. “When I was leaving with my suits, looking so tickled, this African American lady who worked at the front desk, pulled me to the side and said 'I have a little envelope for you. Don't open it until you get home.' I couldn't wait and opened it at the bus stop and burst into tears, because she had given me a certificate to get my hair done." Throughout her troubles, Shawn continued her major mission in life: sharing the gift of music. She first learned to play the piano at home with her father in Coatesville, Pennsylvania and was later classically trained. Finally, she took the brave step of fulfilling her dream of opening a music school. Shawn founded The School of Music Excellence is March 2004. She later moved to Richmond, Virginia and reopened the school there. She keeps ties with the Philadelphia region when she and her daughter travel on weekends to perform for area churches. She tells others to “strive for excellence, not perfection,” as well as identify and pursue their own desires. Photographed By: Jeffrey Holder, Jeffrey Holder Photography |
|
