Today we’d like to introduce you to Teneeyah Hale.
Hi Teneeyah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My name is Teneeyah Tazhaee Hale, born and raised here in Columbus, Ohio. I am a survivor and advocate for all. At the age of 13, I discovered I was six months pregnant. My mom and I never suspected I was because I still had my monthly cycle, was active in sports, and was not showing. It wasn’t until my mom noticed the spreading of my nose that she asked me to take a pregnancy test. When the test returned positive, it felt like my life was over because I had to come clean about the sexual abuse I was experiencing from her ex-husband. This man had been in my life since I could remember and served as a father figure. My biological father couldn’t be as active in my life because he was diagnosed with brain cancer when I was 3-years old. It wasn’t until after the passing of my biological father that he began to molest and abuse me. Now looking back, I understand how he used that to manipulate and slowly destroy me. Immediately after I told her she took me to the police station downtown, and we filed a police report. Keeping this secret to ourselves, she took me to the Women’s Clinic the next day, and that’s where we found out I was six months pregnant. My mom let me make the decision on whether I wanted to keep the baby or give him up for adoption. Once I made the decision, she then let me know that she would assume all responsibility for my child because I deserve to have the rest of my childhood despite having a lot of it stolen from me. I ended up giving birth to my son on September 15th, 2012. From that moment forward, I knew my purpose was to provide the best life possible for him. In June 2017, I graduated from Northland High School with a full-ride scholarship to The Ohio State University. I received the Morrill Scholarship of Distinction. As an undergraduate student at The Ohio State University, one of my goals was to give back to the community that helped me get to where I am. So, helped create and implement a peer mentoring program, for Black girls, through the Department of Social Change at Ohio State under Director Charity Martin-King. The co-creator and I named the program Sista Sista and adopted my alma mater, Northland High School, as the first active site of the program. This program is still active even after I graduated from The Ohio State University, where I received my Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Leadership, and Management with a specialization in Nonprofit Management. I am now the Columbus Program Coordinator for the Young Scholars Program at The Ohio State University where I am also pursuing my Masters in Social Work and my PhD soon in the future. I am also the Academic Liaison for Prophecy Volleyball Club, where I host weekly study tables and coach Northland High School’s track (throwing) team. I also serve as the Academic Coach for South High School’s “Blue Cadets” Drill Team.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Some obstacles and challenges I have faced are coming to terms with what have happened to me. Losing my dad was very pivotal and still affects me to this day. As well as the trauma I experienced through the abuse of my then step-father. I always saw these things happen in movies but never thought I would experience it firsthand. My mom immediately enrolled me in counseling right after I gave birth to my son, but at the time, I didn’t know how to communicate my feelings and was unknowingly dealing with post-partum depression. The counselor made me feel like I was the issue and basically blamed me because I couldn’t/didn’t know how to open up. I went to one session and never went back. My mom said I could go back once I was ready. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of college that I actually sought out counseling services. The trauma I was dealing with began to impact my grades and physical well-being, and at that point, enough was enough. I have consistently been in counseling ever since, and it has helped me turn my life around for the better. It’s actually one of the reasons why I am pursuing my Master’s in Social Work. I want my nonprofit, Hale House Healing and Safety Center to be a resource center for kids and families who have experienced sexual abuse. I know personally what would’ve helped me as a child going through all of the court dates, mediations, and appointments. I also know that these things happen more often than people want to believe, so I want future generations to have the extra support I wish my family and I had. I still have my bad days, but I also have good days, and I want people to know that in order to heal from trauma you have to take it day by day. That’s what I am doing, and it’s been working for me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am the Columbus Coordinator for the Young Scholars Program (YSP) at The Ohio State University. YSP is a merit and need-based scholarship program committed to improving pre-college preparation, retention, and degree completion among academically talented, low-income, first-generation students. We are located in 9 different cities across the state, and I serve as the Program Coordinator for the city of Columbus. As the Columbus Program Coordinator, I Interact with our Columbus Scholars through the individual, group, and/or classroom advisement process and maintain detailed notes of action steps for each meeting. This role includes the responsibility of tracking, monitoring, and evaluating the academic progress and school attendance of each YSP student by reviewing mid-term and semester grades, prescribing appropriate remedial action (if necessary), and working with appropriate school counselors and teachers to ensure good academic standing. As a program coordinator, I also contribute to developing individualized comprehensive academic plans aligned with OSU admissions standards.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Definitely my village. Without all of the love and support I have and continue to receive from them, I don’t know where I would be today. Special shoutout to my mother, Tanitra Hale. She’s been by my side since day one and has always stuck by me despite the challenges and circumstances we dealt with. When it comes to the work I do, all of the staff and contributors to the program as a whole. We are located in 9 different cities around Ohio, and each city has its own Program Coordinator. We help prepare students for college in general while providing specific/individualized support for each Scholar within our program. Once they graduate from high school, they have the choice to attend The Ohio State University as a Scholar through our scholarship program, and our collegiate side of the program helps guide/support them on their journey of earning a Bachelor’s degree. All of the individuals and moving parts within the program help contribute to the success of these students. We are a family, and we make sure anyone within our village knows and feels that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://odi.osu.edu/young-scholars-program
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/osuysp/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OhioStateYoungScholarsProgram/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlpckyrlCwk
Image Credits
Andre Holland
