Jaleesa Shears

I am a native of the small town of Marianna, Arkansas, and a double graduate of UALR. In 2010 with my Associate's in Science in Nursing and later I went back for my Bachelor's in Science in Nursing. In 2017, I felt that I was not living up to my true potential and while working at St. Jude I witnessed families deal with the unthinkable. I have witnessed the impact that mental illness can have on a family while working in the hospital and personally within my family. I have experienced the stigmas of mental health. We can discuss physical illnesses openly, but why not mental illnesses? So, I decided to go back to school and I hope to one day remove the stigma associated with Mental Health. Because I believe "if you are not part of the solution, you are a part of the problem". In 2017, I started my journey at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and graduated with my Doctorate of Nursing in 2020. Now dual-certified as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Family Nurse Practitioner. People living with mental illness can have happy, healthy lives.