Shaq Grouse: From Trauma and Street Life to Becoming a Youth Mentor

⚠️ Viewer discretion advised: This episode contains discussions of childhood abuse, family trauma, substance use, drug dealing, violence, and death.In this episode of Scarwise, I sit down with Shaq Grouse to hear the story behind the person he is today.Shaq speaks openly about experiencing abuse at the hands of different family members, the decisions that repeatedly placed him in unsafe environments, and how those experiences shaped him growing up. He also talks about selling drugs, witnessing the death of a close friend, and living without a clear sense of direction.Things began to change when Shaq met someone who cared about him, challenged him, and showed him that his life could look different. Today, he uses his lived experience to support young people as a youth mentor.This conversation is about trauma, belonging, loss, accountability, and the difference one meaningful relationship can make in someone’s life.