Today we’d like to introduce you to Tierre Tates.
Hi Tierre, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story has really been a journey of growing, surviving, serving, and continuing to become the woman I believe God has called me to be.
I became a mother at the age of 23, and motherhood changed the way I looked at life. Raising my daughter has been one of my greatest responsibilities and greatest blessings. So many of the decisions I have made over the years have been about creating a better life for her while also showing her what it looks like to keep going, set goals, and never stop growing.
At 24 years old, my life changed in a completely different way when I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. At that age, cancer was the last thing I expected to become part of my story. Going through that experience gave me a different appreciation for life and taught me very early that tomorrow is never promised. Today, being an ovarian cancer survivor is something I carry with gratitude. It has also given me a heart for advocacy and for encouraging women to pay attention to their bodies, speak up for themselves, and never be afraid to ask questions about their health.
Over the years, I have continued to push myself personally, professionally, and academically. I returned to school, earned my degrees, and continued building a career centered around families, young people, and community. I have learned that some of the experiences we go through are not only for us they can become something that helps someone else.
That belief is also what pushed me to become an author. Writing *The In-Between Friend, Showing up for everyone But Myself* gave me another way to use my voice and create something meaningful from experiences and lessons that mattered to me.
Service has become a huge part of who I am. I am a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, organizations that allow me to continue serving, advocating, mentoring, and being connected to women who are committed to making a difference in their communities.
When I look at where I am today, I see more than titles or accomplishments. I see a mother, a survivor, an author, an advocate, a servant leader, and a woman who is still becoming. My life has not been a straight line, and everything has not happened when or how I expected it to, but every chapter has shaped me.
I am at a place now where I want everything I do to have purpose. Whether I am supporting my daughter, serving my community, advocating for others, writing, or simply encouraging another woman through my own story, I want my life to remind people that what you have been through does not have to limit where you are going.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My journey has not always been easy, and many of the challenges I have faced happened during seasons when I was already carrying a lot.
Becoming a mother at 23 taught me very quickly that life was no longer only about me. I had to learn how to make decisions, sacrifice, keep moving forward, and create stability while still figuring out who I was becoming.
My ovarian cancer diagnosis added another layer to that journey. It forced me to face fear and uncertainty at a young age and gave me a completely different perspective on life. Years later, being diagnosed with depression and anxiety challenged me in another way. That struggle was less visible, but just as real. I had become so accustomed to being strong, showing up, and handling everything that I had to learn how to acknowledge when I needed support too.
Therapy became part of that process. I learned that taking care of myself mentally and emotionally was just as important as taking care of everyone and everything around me.
Along the way, I have also experienced disappointment, difficult transitions, moments of self-doubt, and times when life simply did not go according to plan. Balancing motherhood, my career, education, personal growth, community involvement, and my own well-being has required a lot of grace, discipline, and faith.
What I appreciate most now is that I do not measure strength by how much I can carry without saying anything. I have learned to ask for help, give myself room to grow, set boundaries, and trust God through seasons I do not fully understand.
The challenges I have faced are part of my story, but they are not the entirety of who I am. They have helped shape me into someone who is more compassionate, more intentional, and more aware of the importance of showing up for myself while continuing to show up for others.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Professionally, I work for Baltimore City Public Schools as a Staff Associate, with much of my work centered around student attendance, family engagement, and helping families navigate barriers that can affect a student’s ability to be successful in school.
A lot of what I do happens behind the scenes. I communicate with families, work closely with students, collaborate with school staff, connect people to resources, and sometimes simply have the conversation that helps uncover what is really going on. I have learned that attendance is rarely just about whether a student comes to school. There can be transportation issues, housing concerns, family circumstances, mental health challenges, or other things happening that people may never see unless someone takes the time to ask.
I think what I am most known for is genuinely caring about people and being willing to follow through. I do not want someone to feel like they are just another name on a list or another problem that needs to be solved. Whether I am working with a student, a parent, a colleague, or someone in the community, I try to make sure they feel heard and know that someone is advocating for them.
Outside of my primary role, I have also worked directly with children and families in behavioral health, which has strengthened my ability to meet people where they are, communicate with compassion, and understand that everyone’s situation is different.
What I am most proud of is the impact I have been able to make through relationships. Sometimes success is a student returning to school, a parent finally feeling comfortable enough to ask for help, or a young person realizing that there are adults who genuinely want to see them succeed.
What sets me apart is that I bring both professionalism and heart to what I do. I believe systems matter, policies matter, and accountability matters, but people matter too. I never want to become so focused on the process that I forget the person standing in front of me.
At the center of my work is service, and I believe that is why so many of the different roles I hold naturally connect with one another.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
The quality that has been most important to my success is resilience. Life has taught me that things will not always go according to plan, but I still have a choice in how I respond.
Resilience has helped me continue moving forward through motherhood, health challenges, personal struggles, career changes, and seasons of uncertainty. It does not mean that I never get tired, discouraged, or overwhelmed. It means I have learned how to regroup, ask for help when I need it, and keep going.
I believe much of what I have accomplished came from simply refusing to give up on myself. I may have had to take a different route, start over, or move at a different pace, but I continued.
That ability to keep going, while also learning and growing along the way, has shaped both my personal and professional life. Resilience is not just something I have developed because of difficult experiences; it is now part of how I approach every opportunity in front of me.
Pricing:
- 20.00
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tierretates528.com
