Leading With Purpose: Shaquawana Wester’s Mission to Empower At-Risk Youth

Educating our youth may be one of the most important tasks today. For Shaquawana Wester, it’s more than a career.

Shaquawana’s inspiring story of growing up in public housing, breaking the cycle, purchasing her own home, and now empowering others to do the same is marked by rare grit and determination.

She began her path to working with inner-city youth through volunteering. “I was an AmeriCorps volunteer with the Cookeville Housing Authority for three years, and it was a life-changer for me,” Shaquawana explained of her work with the organization whose mission is to strengthen communities.

Impressed by her dedication and drive, the Cookeville Housing Authority—now Highlands Residential Services—brought Shaquawana on full time as Youth Programs Coordinator. During her 11 years in the role, she elevated the Teens Need Training program to a new level. The pivotal program enriches the lives of teens who live or have lived in public housing by offering extracurricular opportunities.

“My goal was to break the cycle of generational poverty by providing kids with the tools they need to thrive,” Shaquawana said.

The program also implemented a local law enforcement component, bringing police officers and youth together through activities like field trips, sports, and shared experiences designed to build camaraderie and break down stigmas. “It’s about cultivating a relationship,” Shaquawana said of the partnership. “The kids get to see more than what they see on the news, and the officers get to see firsthand what’s going on in the kids’ lives.”

From teaching teens how to cook a meal or change a tire to helping them find a job or buy a home, Shaquawana is focused on creating a better future for the youth she serves. “I wish there would have been ‘a me’ when I was a kid growing up in public housing,” she said. “So much changes in a kid’s life, and I still remain constant.”

If her work outside of “normal business hours” doesn’t fully illustrate how hard this mother of three works, her philanthropic efforts certainly do. Quawana’s Coats is an annual coat drive Shaquawana launched in 2012. Each fall, she accepts coat donations and distributes them on the fourth Saturday in October.

“We don’t ask about anyone’s financial status,” Shaquawana said. “They can come and take a coat—no questions asked.”

Over the years, she has seen individuals who once came for a free coat later return to donate money or volunteer at the event. “They’ve changed their circumstances, and that is really cool,” she said.

-written by Chelsea Dartez, photos by Katelyn Steakley