March 11, 2020
It was 4:28 AM when Shereen White hit send. She’d seen the Children’s Rights job opening weeks earlier. It focused on her life’s passion. But commute to New York City from Connecticut with an infant and toddler at home? No way.
Shereen grew up in a family that moved a lot, which taught her lessons about resiliency and adapting to new situations. Along the way, she developed a love of learning and knew her destiny was somehow connected to children and education. She also had a direct connection to the ills of the child welfare system.
“My dad spent many years in the foster care system and aged out. He’s an amazing and special human being, and he tells stories that leave us both in tears because that’s how awful they are.”
This drive to make things better led Shereen to Duke, where she got her undergrad degree, and on to Villanova Law and a job with a private firm, where she was encouraged and helped to follow her heart: first as an advocate attorney for abused and neglected kids, and then as assistant general counsel for special education for the School District of Philadelphia.
Which brought Shereen to that middle-of-the-night job application. Commute or no commute, she couldn’t get Children’s Rights off her mind. So when she woke up at midnight, she told herself, “If it’s still there, I’m going for it.” She heard back the next day.
“I have a strong faith in God and I know the plan for me is to have an impact on the lives of children—not kid by kid, but by changing systems. Being here feels like all of my experiences professionally and personally come together. I was literally being prepared for this job, this mission, this fight. Working at CR feels in every way like I’m fulfilling my destiny.”