Heleema has overcome many struggles in her lifetime. Born and raised in St. Louis, Mo. Heleema came to Wisconsin as a teenager. Her lived experience includes poverty, teen pregnancy, domestic violence, substance, and sexual abuse in her younger years that spilled over into her adult life causing her to be confined 6.5 years of overall incarceration in both prisons and county jails. Heleema received her HSED while at John Burke Center in 2010. Released in 2010 Heleema faced many battles to turn her life around to become an upstanding citizen in her community. Heleema began to unofficially meet with recently released and formerly incarcerated individuals, as well as individuals still incarcerated to offer support and insight on troubleshooting life after incarceration. Heleema began a Human Services program at Northeastern Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay, WI. In hopes of gaining a more professional aspect to giving back. Heleema began to volunteer at local shelters, and pantries, and continue to attend trainings geared towards multiple community issues, such as domestic violence, sexual assault, trauma-informed care, child maltreatment, and substance abuse issues. In December 2021 Heleema graduated with an associate degree in Human Services, as well as a Substance Abuse Counseling Certificate. In January of 2022 Heleema began a new journey at a mental health, substance abuse correctional facility in Wisconsin, as a Recovery Support Specialist, where she offers her life experience to others in their own journey, offering hope, insight and motivation, sending a message that anything is possible with change and determination. Heleema brings her own personal motto: Do not let anyone put you in a box, including yourself, as you can do anything you want if you work hard for it and never give up, change is possible.
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