Rising with Purpose: Kesha Shelton on Education, Advocacy, and the Power of Perseverance episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 31, 2025 · 24 MIN

Rising with Purpose: Kesha Shelton on Education, Advocacy, and the Power of Perseverance

from Wave Makers · host Rio Salado College

In this heartfelt episode of Wave Makers, host Michelle Reese sits down with Kesha Shelton — a proud Rio Salado College alum, single mother of three, first-generation college graduate, and fierce advocate for early childhood education. Kesha shares her inspiring journey from enrolling at Rio as a busy working mom to graduating with honors and serving as the 2024 Graduate Marshal. She discusses how she built a new future by embracing online learning, staying disciplined, leaning on community support, and leading by example for her children. Now a double major at Arizona State University and a public speaker on education equity, Kesha is turning personal challenges into public impact — and she’s just getting started. 🎓 Be inspired by how one woman’s determination is shaping her future — and her community.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 31, 2025

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Kesha Shelton is no stranger to juggling — as a single mom of three, she returned to school with a mission: to show her kids what’s possible and change the future for families like hers. In this episode, Kesha talks about her time at Rio Salado College, where she balanced parenting, work, and full-time online study to earn her degree in Early Childhood Education. She shares how programs like Dress for Success and Phi Theta Kappa helped pave her path to ASU, where she’s now studying Justice Studies and Mass Communications. Kesha is on a mission to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline, champion equity in education, and one day earn a doctorate in educational policy. Her voice, her drive, and her heart will stay with you long after the episode ends. Listen now and get inspired by a story that defines what it means to make waves.

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