Keshae Carruthers wanted to create something for herself, and get out of her hometown at the same time. Seeing the U.S. Army as the perfect answer, she signed up at the age of nineteen.
“I needed a change, and to find a path for myself,” she explains. “Somewhere safe where I didn’t have to worry about where to lay my head. The army gave me exactly that. The lessons in discipline, being prepared for anything that comes your way, being part of a team, trust, and leadership are things I will always carry with me.”
Keshae was deployed twice during her eight years of service, and spent four months in Afghanistan and 13 months in Kuwait. The experiences of being deployed in Afghanistan and Kuwait were in many ways similar. “You’re far away from home, surrounded by sand, dirt, and buildings that all look the same. It’s hard. It’s a culture shock. And the winter in Afghanistan is extremely cold.”
The one big difference between the two for Keshae was the opportunity to volunteer in the community in Kuwait. Always passionate about community service, she spent much of her free time volunteering at a hospital for children.
“I grew up in a family that taught me to love others as I love myself, and to never judge a soul,” Keshae says. “My dedication to helping others started long before pursuing a career in the army, and my passion for community service is what ultimately led me to psychology,” she says. “Spending time in shelters, hospitals, and soup kitchens, I realized that what a lot of people really need is someone to talk to, to feel heard, to feel like someone cares about them.”
Born with a gift for talking to people, and knowing when to take the time to listen to those who are feeling lost or hopeless, after leaving the army, Keshae created another path for herself. She completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology earlier this year, and began her first semester of the M.A. Marriage and Family Therapy program at The Chicago School’s Los Angeles campus this fall.
“With this degree, I hope to gain knowledge, skills, and training to open my own shelter for homeless men. My dream is a program that allows the men to live and work in the facility, attend educational classes and skills training, and be offered individual and group therapy. {It will be} a program that is designed to help rehabilitate people both mentally and physically, and help them get back into society in a functional way.”
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