She kept me silent for 18 years. After that, the next 16 years have been a whirlwind.
Since initially telling my story publicly in June 2008, I’ve dealt with a substantial amount of public shaming and blaming. As time went on, I stopped caring about those who didn’t want me telling my story or being involved in fighting sexual violence by making my own path:
- Nationally credentialed with NACP and NOVA.
- Professionally provided thousands of hours of victim-facing sexual assault advocacy services.
- Told my story before CNN, HuffPost Live, To The Contrary, and many others.
- Provided training and presentations on several college campuses and military bases.
- Told my story to the Military Sexual Assault Prevention Caucus in the U.S. Congress.
Healing is real work. Don’t let anyone else tell you what you can do along the way. In my experience, critics and naysayers are seldom qualified or experienced enough to own their opinions. They will disappear when they realize they have no real power over you.
