shaashawn dial
Shaashawn “The Voyce” is an award-winning radio broadcaster, thrice published passionate poet, multi-sensory workshop facilitator, edutaining mistress of ceremonies and seasoned event planner.
Shaashawn is the Founder of Voycetress Media, LLC: Putting Your Voice in the Foreground. Voycetress Media LLC, provides services that affirm and empower individuals and organizations via workshop facilitation and training on diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion in addition to tailored social justice topics. Voycetress Media, LLC: is committed to the liberation of all human beings beginning with a lifelong commitment to raising awareness of our stereotypes and prejudices followed by the acknowledgement of how systematic / institutional discrimination perpetuates racism, heterosexism, anti-Semitism, lookism, ableism, ageism, classism, sexism, eurocentrism, islamophobia, and transphobia. Voycetress Media, LLC believes there are no quick solutions to an organization’s diversity, multiculturalism, inclusion growth (wherever individuals and the organization are on spectrums); solutions are multilayered and require the investment of resources continuously. Voycetress Media, LLC puts your voice in the foreground by creating spaces welcoming to intersections of multiple identities while advocating for the closing of disparity gaps.
Shaashawn's facilitation style involves performance poetry and trainings are multi-sensory. In addition, she provides consultation on advocacy for LGBTQQIAAAPPDS-2+ communities, event planning (certified LGBTQ+ wedding planner), poetry (arts) performance, and vocal services such as voice-overs, keynote speaking, plenary moderator, speech writing, and mistress of ceremonies. Voycetress Media, LLC is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Business Enterprise (LGBTBE) Enterprise.
Shaashawn currently serves as the Immediate President of the Board of Directors for the LGBT Center of Central PA and serves as the Director of Social Equity and Affirmative Action for the City of Harrisburg. In addition, Shaashawn is currently pursuing a PhD in Administration and Leadership Studies (ALS) at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) Dixon Center (Harrisburg, PA). Her additional formal education includes a Masters in Public Administration from Shippensburg University (Shippensburg, Pennsylvania), B.A. in Philosophy, Law, and Rhetoric from Stephens College (Columbia, Missouri), Graduate Certificate in Academic Advising in Higher Education from Kansas State University (Manhattan Kansas), LGBTQ Academy Gay Alliance Safe Zone Train-the-Trainer Certification (Rochester, New York), 14 Stories Gay Wedding Institute Certification and graduate of Diversity Leadership Academy (Harrisburg).
Shaashawn is the author of two books: Acquired Taste of Love: Spice Filled Poems to Please Your Palate and Estrogen in the Atmosphere (2014). She released her first spoken word CD titled VOYCEMAIL January 2010. Shaashawn is the creator of twenty-five original workshops on multiculturalism, leadership, self-development, teamwork, branding, advocacy, implicit bias, panels as a tool of resistance & more. In addition to her solo projects, she contributed articles to the Central Voice newspaper, portrayed herself in the film Dawghouse by Madd Flava Films, contributed to Below-the-Belt Unapologetically Hard Hitting Erotic Poetry by Try-Sexual Women, Her Voice, poetry collection by Lesbian Memoirs and Tapestries of Faith: Black SGLBT Stories of Triumph, Family, Love, and Healing published by Glover Lane Press.
Shaashawn served as the Director of College Advising, First Year Experience Coordinator, professor, and sports announcer 2009 to 2014 at Central Penn College. The centralized advising model included six full-time professional advisors and served 4000 students (traditional, on-line, and continuing education students). Under Shaashawn’s leadership the department improved retention/graduation rates, /institutional tools, streamlined processes/ procedures, created pro-active services, improved reactive services, and created programming positively impacting student’s holistic college experience.
Shaashawn served as the Program Director of Harrisburg’s only urban radio station, WTCY1400 AM “THE TOUCH (2003 – 2008) and Creator/ Hostess of The Shaashawn Dial Show: A Dial Movement weekdays 3pm- 7 pm, the first live and local weekday show in the station’s eighteen-year existence. Additional broadcasting background includes: WWKL-FM Hot 92.1 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, KWWC-FM 90.5 in Columbia, Missouri, and WVST-FM 91.3 in Petersburg, Virginia.
Shaashawn served as the Life Skills Program Coordinator for the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg where she created and executed over 700 classes for residents and she served as the Adult Basic Education & Developmental Studies Coordinator for Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) where she managed state and federal Adult Literacy Grants.
Shaashawn's greatest passion is creating outlets for all persons to discover their voice. To Shaashawn, “voice” is the tool for which people take holistic ownership of their mental, physical, spiritual, and economic health and wealth.
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