Hope you met the deadline for filing your taxes. Better yet, hope you got a refund. I didn’t. Not this year. This tax season. I was single with no dependents to claim so I joined many of my single friends who don’t have kids and have been used to not getting a refund at all. […]
I was 15, pregnant, scared, and didn’t want to be in my mother’s house with my stepfather another day. Remember in my book the time when he got mad at me about the ironing board, and I ran away? Well, walked because I was very pregnant. Very hurt. Very confused. Very scared. After my mother […]
When I walked into that library, the room filled with girls who looked like I did in 1995, I felt at home. And I had no idea what new memory would be created and associated with my return visit to Jackson Central-Merry High School where I graduated #8 in my class and mother to two-year-old […]
I just got off the phone with a friend whose son is constantly skipping school. He’s a senior, in high school, once was in honors classes and now just doesn’t seem to care about his education or his future. Is he unique? Unfortunately, not at all. Sadly, so many of our youth today are not […]
January is coming to a close, and many of us have already given up on our New Year’s resolutions. In the past, I’ve mentioned some “resolutions”, but this year I didn’t even consider it. I just know that I’m going to always take steps towards progress and setting myself up to be better each and […]
For those of you who follow me on my various social media sites, you probably know that my life is basically a roller coaster ride with some extreme highs and some extreme lows. 2014 was no exception. This was my first full year being self-employed. Sounds great, right? Well, it has been a blessing to […]
It’s hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner. I remember the anxious feelings I had as a child watching under the bedroom door of the room that my sister and I shared. Our mom and my stepdad would make us go to bed then pull out our gifts from their hiding places. […]
I am always humbled and honored when anyone takes the time to read my book. It is my story of becoming a mother at 15 and living and succeeding in life as a single mother. When adults read it, I appreciate the understanding and hope that they find nuggets to help them overcome obstacles they […]
______________________________________________________________________________________________________ I’m Summer Owens, and my passion is helping youth and young adults realize success no matter what obstacles they face. As an international resilience and leadership keynote speaker, author, S.O. What! Success Coach, and creator of the S.O. What! Literacy, Life Skills, and Character Education curriculum, I empower people to say, […]
