We’re looking forward to introducing you to Dr. Sharmon Swinney Monagan. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Sharmon, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
As the Founder and CEO of The Swinney Foundation, I have busy days, but the first 90 minutes each morning are intentional and focused. It’s the time I center myself so I can move forward with clarity, gratitude, and purpose. The first thing I do every morning is make my bed. It’s something I learned in the military, and later heard reinforced by thought leaders, as a simple but powerful first accomplishment of the day. It’s a small act that sets the tone for a productive day. Every morning, I take time to watch something funny and something informative on TikTok. Life be” lifing” sometimes. When I was diagnosed with cancer in 2016, I made it a point to watch The Bernie Mac Show every day. It helped me laugh through some of the toughest times of my life, and ever since then, I’ve made humor a daily priority. I don’t really watch the traditional news anymore, but I think it’s important to keep learning and stay aware of what’s going on in the world. So, I’ll watch a video on current events, world news or learn something new. Prayer and gratitude are the anchors in my life. They keep me grounded and give me strength to keep going. I keep a prayer list of friends and family, I take time to give thanks for another day, and I ask for God’s protection. Leaving home and making it back safely is something we take for granted. I also have a gratitude journal where I write down all things I am grateful for, both big and small, because I truly believe gratitude invites more things for me to be grateful for. Finally, I set my intentions for the day. In my planner, my to-do list is always longer than what’s reasonably possible, so I focus on prioritizing what I absolutely must accomplish for the day. These small rituals, making my bed, laughing, praying, reflecting, and setting priorities, help me start each day with focus, peace, and purpose. If I skip any of them, my day feels a little off.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
The Swinney Foundation is a nonprofit that provides scholarships and resources for single parents and their families. I started it in honor and memory of my parents, both of whom I lost to cancer. I’m also a cancer survivor, so what began as a way to cope with grief has become a calling to help others. We often hear about how tough things are for families, but we rarely talk about how incredibly hard it is for single parents. There aren’t many organizations that detail their plights, express their concerns, advocate for them, or amplify their voices. And that’s why The Swinney Foundation exists. I’m a divorced single mom of two amazing adult children and several bonus kids. After my kids graduated from high school, I moved to Puerto Rico by myself to start a new chapter. It was peaceful, healing, and necessary. But life had other plans, when my father and I were diagnosed with cancer just one day apart, I came back home to Atlanta. My parents emphasized the importance of education and work. That’s the legacy I’m carrying forward with The Swinney Foundation. Our mission extends beyond education. One in four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime, and women are at the greatest risk immediately following a separation. To help raise awareness and promote safety, The Swinney Foundation co-hosted the annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes March with the Stone Mountain Police Department, sponsored by the City of Stone Mountain, the DeKalb County Chiefs Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, Dekalb County Commissioner Chakira Johnson, and local partners including Village Podiatry, CHOOP Logistics LLC, East Atlanta Public Adjuster LLC, Andrea Monday Case Management, Weeyum’s Philly Style, and Cheryl Carr, Realtor. The event underscored the importance of collaboration between law enforcement, the faith community, and families to create safer communities.
One of my favorite moments that reminds me why I do this work happened a few years ago. We had awarded a scholarship to a single mom during the fall semester. Normally, we only offer one scholarship per student, but something told me to call her that Christmas break and let her know we’d be extending it for the spring term, her very last semester before graduation. I didn’t hear back from her right away, and I remember wondering if she had gotten my message. That evening, she finally called. She said she hadn’t called earlier because she had been crying all day after hearing my message. Before my call, she had been sitting there wondering how she was going to pay tuition to finish her final term of college. The scholarship was only $500. That may not sound like much to some people, it’s what many spend on a weekend out, but for her and many others, it meant everything. It was the difference between finishing college, starting her dream career, and building a new life for her and her child. Stories like hers remind me why I keep going. We have countless stories like hers, moments when a small act of support creates a ripple of change that places the entire family on a different trajectory. Life has been challenging for many, especially in today’s economy where more than 300,000 Black women have been laid off from their jobs. But it’s often during the most challenging times that we find our greatest strength. These are the moments to bet on yourself. Find your purpose and put it to work. And if you have to start over, don’t see it as failure. You’re not starting from scratch; you’re starting again with experience, wisdom, and resilience on your side.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
My parents were the hardest working people I’ve ever known. They taught me that success comes from working hard, working with integrity, and working for a purpose. That lesson is at the heart of The Swinney Foundation. Through our scholarships and resources for single parents, we help families change the trajectory of their lives through education and opportunity. Despite what some politicians say about college not being necessary, the truth is, the same ones making those claims are still sending their own kids to college. The Social Security Administration reports that people with degrees earn over $1 million more in their lifetime than those with only a high school diploma. Education changes lives. And I’ve seen that transformation firsthand through The Swinney Foundation. My parents’ work ethic shaped who I am, and now it’s the driving force behind the foundation.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
Losing both of my parents was the most defining wounds of my life. Losing a parent changes you, it shifts how you see the world. I was in my twenties when my mom passed, and now my kids are around the same age I was then. That perspective really hits home. I didn’t want to, nor could I, stay stuck in that grief. And I knew my parents wouldn’t have wanted that either. So instead of letting that pain consume me, I decided to turn it into purpose. That’s how The Swinney Foundation was born, out of love, loss, and the desire to keep their memory alive. Through the foundation’s work, I feel like I’m continuing their story, not just mourning their absence. Every scholarship we give, every family we support, feels like a piece of them living on. It’s no longer about loss, t’s about legacy.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Everyone who knows me will tell you that my kids are my world. Family and friends mean everything to me; they’re truly the center of my life. You can have all the success and money in the world, but without the people you love, it doesn’t mean much. My family and friends are the ones who keep me grounded, who speak truth when I need it, who celebrate with me in the good times, and hold me up in the hard ones. They’re my compass, they remind me what really matters. At the end of the day, strong relationships with your loved ones are what life is all about.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I’m absolutely doing what I was born to do, and I love it! In addition to running The Swinney Foundation, I’ve worked in higher education for over twenty years, and it still brings me joy every single day. When I was a little girl, my favorite game was “playing school.” I’d get my friends together and teach them whatever I could think of and in exchange, I’d bake them a cake in my Easy Bake Oven. Even then, I just wanted to teach. After my time in the military, there was a period when I wasn’t quite sure what was next. But when my mom became ill, I took a part-time job at a college to stay close to home. That job changed my life. From the moment I stepped on campus, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be. Now, between teaching and providing scholarships and resources through The Swinney Foundation, I know this is my purpose, to help others reach their full potential through education.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theswinneyfoundation.org
- Instagram: The Swinney Foundation
- Linkedin: The Swinney Foundation
- Facebook: The Swinney Foundation
Image Credits
ShotXBuddies
44 Media House
