JP Alumni Fellow Story: Tyesha Mitchell
From learning to parent solo after divorce to starting her own business and becoming a homeowner, JP Alumni Fellow Tyesha Mitchell prioritizes time as a resource.
The 2023-2024 Jeremiah Program Alumni Fellows, each many years removed from their time as JP moms, are using their experiences, expertise, and stories to advocate for other single moms and their families. This is Tyesha Mitchell’s story.
My name is Tyesha Mitchell. I am the daughter of Lizette Mitchell, a woman who worked tirelessly while also being resourceful to meet the needs of our family.
I can definitely remember a time before we even began school: My brother and I, our family lived in a shelter for two years up until we obtained a Section 8 housing voucher, and then our mother boldly moved us from Chicago, which was all of our support and family, everything that she had known, to the northwest suburbs, where we had no support a little to no support, and I believe she was all of 20, 21 years old. So through that, I definitely learned that sometimes it takes some short-term sacrifice for long-term gain.
I have to say a very pivotal moment in my life was when I was a senior in high school and my mother unexpectedly passed away. At the insistence of my aunt, maybe something that I didn’t necessarily want to do, I reluctantly moved to Minnesota just to pursue better opportunities. And what I learned through that was even though it wasn’t what I desired, it was definitely what I needed. I found a great support system in a church home and was mentored. I went on to get my GED, in addition to landing my first career job. I would go on to get married and have two beautiful girls, Trinity and Destiny. Due to a volatile marriage, we ended up divorcing, and I sought out the Jeremiah program.
My approach to life is best summed with a quote by John C. Maxwell: “The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.”
What Jeremiah really gave me was the life skills that I lacked when my mother passed. It was almost as if I was thrust into adulthood. And so the support of the family coach through that — and also it’s the community and life skill classes — I was able to earn my associate degree at the University of Northwestern – St. Paul. After I graduated, I went on to get over 13 years in the health care field, in addition to launching a business last spring. And just this past fall, our family purchased our first home.
Money does come and go, but we can’t redeem time. I definitely feel it’s one of our most valuable assets, and because of that, I’m very passionate about mentoring young women and youth toward pursuing multiple streams of income and options. I’m also focused on legacy building beyond self-sufficiency.
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