Shainek Edmundson
Youth Peer Advisor
ABOUT SHAINEK
As a Youth Peer Advisor, Shainek provides tools and techniques to help Youth Peer Advocates support young people and help them reach their full potential. She has always felt pulled to serve and give back, and to show youth that they can determine their futures – even when faced with obstacles in life. Shainek loves that The Foundling and the SFC Center is dedicated to serving the community, and creates resources for people from various backgrounds and cultures. In the future, she hopes to establish her own non-profit, providing a safe space for young people to express themselves and build confidence through creative arts.
Shainek, who is from Brooklyn, attended EBC High School for Public Service and graduated from SUNY College at Old Westbury. To decompress and relax from work, she enjoys tapping into her creative side – she writes poetry, short plays and monologues, and creates acrylic paintings. Her role models are Queen Latifah and Maya Angelou, two women that she feels demonstrate black excellence. Shainek admires their use of creative arts as a platform to touch lives, as well as their dedication to living authentically and unapologetically.
LIVED EXPERIENCE
My lived experience is rooted in my time navigating the child welfare system, both personally and professionally. Due to this, I work hard to make sure the youth I advise develop a support system with multiple tools and skills. I want all young adults to know they do not have to be defined by their trauma nor their circumstances