Name: Shayla Scott
Position and Location
Program ReEntry Lead, Arizona
How long have you worked for Persevere?
Since June 2021
Where are you originally from?
A little all over the Midwest. I was born in Nebraska but also resided in North Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, and more. More often than not, I’ll say Kansas for simplicity sake because I graduated from High School there!
What do you love most about your job?
What I love most about my job is the perfect balance between teamwork, work-life balance, our shared commitment to making a positive impact for those we serve, and the continuous opportunities for personal and professional growth and learning. All of this would not be possible without the amazing leadership team, specifically in Arizona, and the wonderful staff that keeps us moving every day.
I came to Persevere after needing a change from Child Welfare Investigations. Incarceration is a topic that is dear to me as I have family who are justice-impacted.
A social worker (this is so boring because I became one haha).
The best advice I received is actually from a book by Glennon Doyle. The advice is as follows: “The building of the true & beautiful means the destruction of the good enough. Rebirth means death… our next life will always cost us this one.”
I get to sleep in, have a yummy eggs-benedict breakfast with a chai latte, before some stretching and showering. I spend the rest of my day with my dog, reading a book by a rainy window, and/or maybe a small game night with my closest friends.
I’m single handedly most proud of my resilience and knowledge. There were many life circumstances presented to me that should have or could have resulted in me failing in a lot of ways in this life, but here I am today: Successful, full of love, and caring about others while making a difference in my community both with and outside of Persevere.
My all-time favorite movie is 500 Days of Summer. I can quote the entire film.