Lashaun Gibson, St. Jerome’s Head Start Parent
Lashaun Gibson is a single parent who has been a member of the St. Jerome’s family for several years. Two of Lashaun’s children completed the St. Jerome’s Head Start program and now attend Baltimore City schools. While in the program, Lashaun faced many challenges including the loss of her job and her home. Through these hardships, Lashaun never lost sight of her goal to enter the criminal justice field and she was determined to secure a better quality of life for her family. She worked with a St. Jerome’s family services coordinator who identified resources to help meet her meet her goals and provided her with on-going support. She also took some parenting classes offered by the Head Start.
In May 2008, Lashaun applied to the Baltimore City Police Academy. She completed the rigorous application process, which included psychological assessment, physical exam, lie detector test, and a physical agility test. She was hired by the Baltimore City Police Department and began the police academy on September 8. She credits St. Jerome’s Head Start for helping her to stay focused and achieve her dream.