Journeys of Resilience

ATHENA

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About Athena
Athena is 50 years old and lives in Easton, Maryland. She remembers growing up in home without running water and electricity and living in a large house with siblings and cousins – three families living together. She had her first child at 17 and now has 3 adult sons and a grand daughter. After graduating from high school in June 1986, she had hoped to go to college. Her life trajectory changed with an early relationship and in 1987 she enlisted in the military. Today, she works at the detention center in Easton and on Saturdays she works for Home Instead Senior Care. She reaches out daily to 20 women, sharing inspirational messages of hope and support.

“I don’t hear ‘no’. I don’t hear ‘you can’t’. I don’t hear ‘stop’. I don’t hear ‘you’re not good enough’. I’m not perfect, but I know that I am worthy.” -Athena

My 50th Birthday

Athena: If I had gotten nothing else that day, on my birthday, but just to hear what they had to say– that would’ve been enough for me, because that confirmed it for me. I’m geeky. I’m silly. I’m fanatical. I’m over the top sometimes, but guess what? People like me. I’m liked and I’m okay. It works for me and it works for the people that have to care about me and that have to deal with me.

My Career

Athena: As a correctional officer, I am rehabilitating people that break the law. And I’m a tell you, the reward with that is just indescribable. I’m fortunate, I’ve had to rehabilitate and assist some people that I have grown fond of, and been really close to. I don’t internalize what they’re there for. I have to look past that part. They’re here now. I’m not to judge you. You’ve already been judged. You’ve been sentenced. I try to talk, communicate, show them a different way. And we’ve had some successes.

Being a Caregiver

Athena: My husband got sick. When he first got diagnosed, I was 38. I don’t think I looked at it like taking care of him. I just did what I had to do. I did what a wife was supposed to do. So during that time, I grabbed on God every chance I could get.. And so I saw for myself the difference that made. There was nobody in the physical sense that could help me. There was nobody in the physical flesh sense that I could go to or that I could talk to and give them what was in me because I didn’t know what it was myself.

Athena’s Family

Dewan (“Dee”)
Athena’s Son

Kontrell Lamonte (“Boo”)
Athena’s Son

Jehiyah
Athena’s Son

Carlotta
Athena’s Mother

More Words from Athena and Her Family

Hope

Athena: You can do it. You can make it, no matter what. I’ve had some stuff thrown at me, I’m telling you, you just have no idea. We couldn’t even begin. And I tell people that all the time, I’m not supposed to be here, but I am. I’m still here. So guess what? If I can get through this and I can get to that, so can you. There’s hope. There’s always hope.

Prayer

Athena: I pray anywhere. So when I get upset, I pray.

Athena's Mother on Segregation

Athena’s Mother, Carlotta, on Segregation: When I was growing up, we were on this side of town. We had our own churches. We had our own schools. We didn’t hang out together or nothing like that, but everybody knew everybody. Family made a difference. I had my mom, my aunt, my sister, my brothers, you know, we were just all a close family, and our kids were close. When they were growing up, some people thought they were all brothers and sisters, but they were cousins, but that was okay with them. They were just that close. Most of the black ladies worked in somebody’s house, or worked in a chicken factory. And the men worked farms or in a chicken factory or something like that. But now, everybody has the opportunity to work in any kind of field.

ATHENA

Athena’s Family

Dewan (“Dee”)
Athena’s Son

Kontrell Lamonte (“Boo”)
Athena’s Son

Jehiyah
Athena’s Son

Carlotta
Athena’s Mother

More Words from Athena and Her Family

© 2019 Maryland Department of Health/Behavioral Health Administration

JOURNEYS OF RESILIENCE

ATHENA

Athena’s Family

Dewan (“Dee”) Athena’s Son

Kontrell Lamonte (“Boo”) Athena’s Son

Jehiyah Athena’s Son

Carlotta Athena’s Mother

More Words from Athena and Her Family

© 2019 Maryland Department of Health/Behavioral Health Administration

Dewan (“Dee”)
Athena’s Son

Kontrell Lamonte (“Boo”)
Athena’s Son

Jehiyah
Athena’s Son

Carlotta
Athena’s Mother