In desperate times, SEI was there…

Siyonna White Webb is a beautiful young woman with a serene smile that reveals little of the struggles she has endured. If you ask her about her life she’ll tell you, “I came from the streets. Education has given me everything that’s good in my life.”

School was her sanctuary, “When I was there I could just be a kid, because once the bell rang, it was back to reality.” Her reality was a family full of adults struggling with drug addiction. At age 12, Siyonna boarded a train in Seattle and moved to Portland to live with her sister.

SEI became her second family. She credits SEI with understanding without judging and helping her through some desperate times.

As the first high school graduate in her extended family, Siyonna didn’t see college as an option — until SEI sponsored her on their annual Black College Tour. The trip motivated her to apply for scholarships and changed her life. She received a full scholarship to Portland State and graduated this spring with a degree in criminal justice. She hopes to work with youth in crime prevention, using her life as inspiration to others.

In July Siyonna and her husband welcomed their daughter, Haley Marie Webb, into the world — one full of options and opportunities.

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