Schanaque Watson

Whatever Life Throws at Me, I Handle It, Because Survival Mode Doesn’t Stop Even When Everything Is Good!”
Life has a way of testing us, pushing us to our limits, and challenging our very essence. I have faced numerous of trials and tribulations, that has shaped the person I am today.

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To begin with I am a proud Memphian, born and raised!!!! Giving special credits to the wonderful neighborhoods of Hickory Hill, South Memphis, and Whitehaven, you have to be from Memphis, MANE to understand. I graduated from Hillcrest High in 2009. My educational journey continued when I enrolled at Lane College in 2009 then I later transferred in 2011 to The University of Memphis. Where I obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal & Criminology, along with two minors in African &African American Studies and English in 2013. In 2016, I received a Master of Public Administration Degree from Strayer University.

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During childhood I was involved in church activities, including the Young People’s Division, Children’s Choir, Bible Knowledge Bowls, and Black History Knowledge Bowls. I even took the initiative to organize my own Black History Play within the church at a young age. I also wrote poems that were published in our local paper, The Commerical Appeal, Kid’s Appeal Section. In addition, I was a Girl Scout, a ballet dancer for seven years, and played the piano for eight years. My journey to getting my own money and very first paycheck was at the age of 14 when I became a Junior Counselor at Southside Boys and Girls Club, at the time which was located in South Memphis. That one paycheck set the foundation, for me to start getting my own money.