A Class Act

Tenesha Marshall wants foster kids to know there is life after trauma.

Tenesha is with her husband Dr. Ronald Marshall, Jr., sons Tremane (13) and Tre (16), and their dog Shuri.

Tenesha Marshall knows firsthand about the effects of trauma. She grew up poor living in the Park Hill housing project where she suffered physical and verbal abuse from her mom. But through it all, perseverance in the face of adversity kept Tenesha on the right track. And now, she is sharing this invaluable lesson with the children at St. Joe’s.

She is heading into her 19th year of working as a school counselor for Jefferson County Public Schools but began supporting St. Joe’s and other State Agency Children’s Programs in 2016.

Tenesha supported state agency schools as needed but spent the majority of her time working with St. Joe’s. “I just felt a need there and felt like that was where I belonged.”

This past year, JCPS permanently assigned her to St Joe’s as a full-time counselor for the children who attend our residential school. “I chose to provide St. Joe’s with more support, because they didn’t have a school counselor and they were dear to me.” “My heart goes out to students who didn’t choose their situation. It tugged at my heart to be able to support them, because they are less fortunate than students who get to go home daily to their parents. It breaks my heart to know that some of them don’t have placement. Some of them have been here for more than two years.” 

Patience and understanding, she says, is what foster children need most because of their ever-changing circumstances. Sometimes, a foster family placement can be rejected for various reasons or parental rights can be permanently terminated which sets the tone of a child’s mood. Tenesha works to counteract the negative effects by letting the kids know they are not alone. “I am very open and honest with them about who I am. People knew I had difficulty making the right decisions. I tell them: ‘I put the fist away and you can too,” she says as she laughs. “I try to get kids to understand how their actions can affect the people around them.” 

Despite her tumultuous childhood, Tenesha received a full track scholarship from the University of Kentucky and then transferred to the University of Louisville on a full ride scholarship. Through telling her story, Tenesha wants to inspire all foster children to keep hope at the forefront of their minds. “I am these kids…I came into an unfortunate situation without asking for it. I had to overcome that as a kid and try to make better choices as an adult. I tell them: ‘This is my life and these are the things that happened to me, but this is how I chose to make the situation better.’”

P.S. Ready to learn more about how you can make a difference in the life of a St. Joe’s kid? Donate, volunteer, become a respite provider or a foster parent.