From Trauma to Advocacy: Shakina Rush and the Mission Behind She Is U

After surviving childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault, Shakina Rush chose healing—and then built a movement. In this powerful in-person conversation, recorded in Philadelphia after her nonprofit’s second annual housing fair, Shakina shares how her lived experiences shaped She Is U, an organization that supports individuals impacted by abuse through housing, mental health, scholarships, and more. Her story is one of radical forgiveness, unshakable faith, and personal responsibility—and her presence is as healing as her work.

Interview recorded in Upper Darby, PA.

Key Takeaways:

• She Is U is a nonprofit founded by Shakina Rush that offers resources for individuals impacted by domestic violence, sexual abuse, and assault
• Her own lived experiences—beginning with childhood trauma and continuing into young adulthood—fueled the mission behind the organization
• Shakina emphasizes the importance of forgiveness, including forgiving herself, as a turning point in her healing journey
• Her healing deepened after a spiritual awakening when she first heard God’s voice clearly in her early 20s
• The organization’s unique programs include family bonding weekends, a scholarship fund, bereavement support, and even donating vehicles to survivors
• Shakina believes that domestic violence is a symptom of deeper, often unaddressed trauma
• She is planning new initiatives like Walk in My Shoes, a Converse-sponsored empathy-building experience
• Compassion, to her, means offering grace and practical support—filling the gap without judgment

Shakina Rush’s Bio:

My name is Shakina Rush, and I am an Overcomer! I’ve overcome childhood sexual abuse, intimate partner violence that started when I was just a preteen and followed me into my young adult years, and sexual assault as a grown woman. Every time I open my mouth and tell my story, I feel another layer of freedom. I don’t get tired of sharing—it’s part of my healing. A part of me that was once trapped in guilt, fear, and shame gets released every single time.

We Overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and through the Word of our Testimony. That’s not just a scripture to me, it’s my life. I’ve made the choice to forgive. I forgive myself. I forgive those who hurt me. I forgive the ones who let me down, who left me when I needed them most. I release it all, and I walk forward in truth, purpose, and peace.

Connect with Shakina:

www.sheisu.org

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Can you pinpoint a moment in time when your life changed? Maybe it wasn’t a moment, maybe it was a complicated chain of events that led you to where you are today. Or maybe, it was a generational impact that started before you were even born. Regardless of what it contains, all humans have a story. And those stories are the building blocks of who we are, at our very core. Join host, Jennifer Peterkin - lover and collector of stories, as she interviews humans from all walks of life. Tune in every week to hear stories of love and loss, triumph and defeat, and all that exist in between.