Mia Storia di Speranza
My blogs
| Occupation | College Instructor and PhD Student |
|---|---|
| Location | Bustown, Ohio, United States |
| Introduction | I am a Christian, a feminist, a partner, a mother, a sister, a college professor, an aunt, an artist, a student, and someone who has been navigating eating disorder relapses for over two decades. I am also a survivor. Not long ago, I was a parentified child from the wrong side of the tracks who dropped out of high school after being sold for sex by a close friend (without my knowledge), and surviving sexual violence too many times to count. Much earlier on, I had been sexually abused by my father and godfather. Heavy drug use and poor choices ensued along with an eating disorder that began prior to becoming a teenager. But I discovered I am a fierce survivor. My journey is difficult at times, with no awareness of similar stories that have resulted in higher education success. I often feel tied to past trauma. At one point, I also learned that very few people believed I had a future, making latent impostor syndrome an especially interesting uphill battle. So I am here to share my story, along with resources for survivors, loved ones (and the curious about sexual abuse), to discuss options for moving forward and above all, to share hope. Cheers to you and to surviving! |
| Interests | Supporting other survivors and providing community education, doctoral student and new faculty support, art-based therapy and other inexpensive but effective ways of addressing post-traumatic stress, addressing sexual violence across the life span, travel, camping, reading, writing poetry, art and producing art, film, feminism, yoga, wellness, and crossfit |
| Favorite movies | Amelie, Pulp Fiction, The Royal Tenenbaums, About Time, Moonrise Kingdom, The Kill Bills, Tank Girl, Sucker Punch, Lion, Persepolis, Cast Away on the Moon, The Day I Became a Woman |
| Favorite music | Catpower, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Brandi Carlile, Etta James, Nirvana, Bjork, Nina Simone, The Pixies, The Cure, The Cranberries |
| Favorite books | The Bible, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, The Little Prince, Anna Karenina, Crime and Punishment, Love in a Time of Cholera, Strength to Love, The Bluest Eye, Sputnik Sweetheart, The Gift of Fear |