His Turning Point Led Him to St. Joe’s

Deshion Brent had a turbulent childhood that led him down the wrong path. 

But seeing his best friend get shot and killed at their school bus stop – and the positive influence of his grandmother – made the 18-year-old reconsider his life decisions. “Before she passed, she told me that if I stayed on the dark side, I would never see the light,” he says. Deshion took her advice and became an advocate for children who – like himself – have experienced trauma. He works as the residential supervisor at the cottages where our children live and is a safety crisis management instructor. 

Establishing a rapport with the children comes easy for Deshion who says he struggles with taking time off from work because of his close-knit relationship with them. “A kid who was here previously, told me he wished I was his father. I had to go in the back and shed a couple of tears. His dad was not always there for him in the best way.” 

Showing the children love and letting them know they are protected is Deshion’s main goal. And when a child is struggling emotionally, he finds a way of calming them. “I am very good at diverting focus and taking their mind off of what is upsetting them. If they got a new pair of shoes, I’ll ask them to tell me about what they like about their shoes. I work on finding a solution to the problem they are having.” He also makes sure they understand that their past doesn’t define them. “Once you step into St. Joe’s, it is a different life. It is a new, bright picture. Every kid who comes here always has their head down, but I tell them: ‘what you did before doesn’t matter anymore.” 

P.S. St. Joe’s has a residential supervisor position available. Find out more about it here and submit your application. We’d love to meet you! 

This post was supported by funds made available by the Kentucky Department for Public Health’s Office of Health Equity from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for STLT Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, under RFA-OT21-2103.

 The content of this post are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of or endorsement by the Kentucky Department for Public Health or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.