Dawnyshia Griffin | Human - Speaker - Author
From one of millions to one in a million
Who am I?
I am a registered nurse, public speaker, author and advocate.
I am also one of millions. Millions who have seriously considered, planned, and attempted suicide. 1 in 5 people living with a mental health condition. I'm one of half of women who have experienced sexual violence.
Through my healing I've realized that through belief in m ability to transform, connecting with people I admire, daring to dream and reach for my goals, and being open to healing. I went from one of millions statistically to one in a million that can transform others just as I've been transformed.
More importantly than titles or statistics, I am a human who champions the ability of people from all kinds of backgrounds to soar rather than limit our potential.
I struggled with the meaning of life until I learned that it was up to me to create the meaning I was searching for. It was hard to love myself until I realized that I was whole as I was and needed to stop short changing myself.
Now that I see the light and live a life I never dreamed of because: I love myself and are surrounded by genuine relationships and am growing everyday.
I'm committed to helping those struggling with mental health, addiction, recovery, and life transitions to achieve the life that they only whisper to themselves at night.
Welcome.
Volunteering with NAMI helped me turn my story of struggle and resilience into a meaningful presentation for law enforcement officers, government officials, and peers with lived experience.
The more I shared my experiences. the more I found my voice and saw the importance of sharing my story to give others direction and hope.
During my graduate studies I turned my passion for those struggling with mental health disorders and addiction into a project with a local homeless shelter where we provided tools, connection, and understanding to vulnerable people.
I recognized the power of my voice when I was selected to be the keynote speaker for the Johns Hopkins Out of the Darkness walk for suicide prevention. I was scared to share my story at first but the response was overwhelming. People were moved to tears and shared their experiences with suicide either personally or someone the loved or lost. It was amazing to create space to be vulnerable and honest on such a devastating topic. I undeniably saw the power of giving voice to this unnecessarily taboo subject.
After years of hard work earning my Master In the Science of Nursing (MSN) I was selected to be the student speaker at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing class of 2023 commencement. The reaction from the crowd and being promoted by the Dean Sarah Szanton to the American Nurses Association showed me that the message of the importance of self-care, balance, and championing health equity in the nursing profession. I was honored to bring the subjects to the larger nursing community.
In my first semester of graduate study I wrote an article for the Johns Hopkins Nursing blog which talked about how the compartmentalization that enables nurses to move from one patient or emergency to the next may be contributing the patient-provider disconnect. The blog was selected at the #12 blog that year. I was overjoyed that my article had been so well-receiving.
To add to my joy of being a registered nurse, early in my nursing career I was honored to receive the Daisy Award after a beautiful nomination from one of my patients. It taught me that even as we deal with emergencies the energy and attitude we bring still impacts the patients.
After dealing with an unhealthy relationship I wrote an article for the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. The article emphasized the importance of understanding and creating safe spaces for survivors of abuse. This article is important to me because it demonstrates that even traumatic experiences have the power to be harnessed for good.