For as long as Tanisha could remember, she loved animals. She grew up with birds, chickens, cats, dogs, and a whole host of other animals. She had fond memories of a childhood dog, a Rottweiler named Gypsy.
“I remember spending afternoons with Gypsy at my grandma’s house. We would share lunch on the porch. If I had a sandwich, she was eating my sandwich. That’s where my connection to dogs really began.”
“I tried to get into grooming, but everyone I asked to train me said no,” Tanisha shared. “My mom heard about the program on the news and went and printed me out an application.”
The first weeks at Pawsperity were difficult. All of this was so new. As a member of the very first class, Tanisha felt like the students and staff were all learning together. Her class formed a strong bond, leaning on each other for support with both class and life outside of it.
“Of course I had my kids, I had no choice to give up. I had to keep going,” said Tanisha.
Tanisha also grew close with Pawsperity’s Founding CEO, Natasha. She recalled a moment where she really saw how much Natasha cared.
After graduating, Tanisha took a job at Petco, becoming the highest paid starting groomer they had ever had. Her training at Pawsperity gave her a competitive edge among others in the market.
She later transferred to a local, private salon, where she worked for several years. When the opportunity arose to come back to Pawsperity, this time as an instructor, she jumped at the chance.
“I wanted to give back. I want to produce good groomers,” said Tanisha. “My favorite part about teaching is the students. I love getting to hear people’s stories and see them evolve. It’s rewarding. I always try to tell them ‘Hey, I’ve been there, I know where you’ve been and where you’re trying to go. Just hang in there.’ Once they get it, you see it click.”
The job isn’t always easy. So many of Tanisha’s students come from backgrounds that leave them traumatized, which can present new and specific challenges.
“Once I get in here and talk to students and staff, that brightens my day. The students find a way to make us smile, we find a way to make them smile, everybody’s smiling!”
For nearly a decade, Tanisha has now been living the life she always dreamed of in the career she always wanted. Long gone are the days of dreading waking up and going to work. Her life has come full circle, back at the place that gave her a new start all those years ago. She wouldn’t have it any other way.
