Today we’d like to introduce you to Saadia Dior. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Meet Saadia, a nascent social entrepreneur and an avid public speaker; she takes every opportunity to ignite, edify, empower, and connect audiences. She believes one of her strongest suits is her endless curiosity.
One fun fact is that she is very silly and a big kid at heart who loves and lives for adventure. She is a girly girl who loves pink, and her favorite doll of all time is Barbie.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, I wouldn’t describe it as a relatively smooth road as my childhood was filled with chaos and confusion. Saadia Dior grew up in a poor family and neighborhood filled with drugs and gangs, which attributed to obstacles and challenges in her childhood. Growing up with a mother on drugs, sent to jail, and absentee father; filled her with rage, anger, and resentment. She continued to engage in toxic relationships with men who were physically abusive and emotionally unstable, which led her to a life of domestic violence at such a young age. At 15, she became a teenage mother to a beautiful baby girl, Shanti, and her whole life changed in an instant. By 17, she was a single teenage mother and high school dropout. Being a teenage mother wasn’t easy, and she didn’t juggle it well. Growing up with trauma, included abandonment and trust issues that led to depression and being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder II.
At 35, she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Prince’Dior, who was short-lived until 3 days old where he passed away on December 12, 2021. His untimely death was the result of medical negligence and had a devastating impact on her. As a result, her mental health declined significantly, and she was admitted to an inpatient psychiatric ward for one week in June 2022. She continues to grieve and struggles with the loss while processing in therapy.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Saadia is currently focused on opening a foundation in honor of her late son to bring awareness to Down Syndrome, NEC which is Necrotizing Enterocolitis, and SCID which is Severe Combined Immunodeficiency aka “Bubble Boy Disease”. These are the diagnoses her newborn son had and were revealed after his untimely death. The goal is to raise funds to aid families with these conditions and help them with the transition and/or resources needed to live a quality life.
Saadia is a former Foster Care Youth who became a Social Worker’s Success Story. Becoming a mother at the age of 15, she faced several challenges, and being placed in foster care was one. Despite life’s triumphs, she was determined to overcome and live her best life. With the help of Social Workers, she turned all negatives into positives. Saadia graduated from high school, obtained housing, and pursued undergraduate study in Social Services and Law upon Final Discharge from Foster Care. She obtained an associate’s degree from New York City College of Technology, then applied and was accepted into her “Dream College,” John Jay College of Criminal Justice where she attained a bachelor’s degree in law and society. There, she studied Law and learned how to apply it to the foster care population and families she served. After graduating from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in June 2015, she decided to pursue work in the field and later attained her master’s degree in social work at Adelphi University in May 2023. She is an avid advocate for social justice issues and change within the community, workplace, and profession of Social Work. She enjoys bringing change and helping others with women’s rights and issues such as Social, Maternal Health, and Wellness. She prides herself on teaching women the skills to be the best versions of themselves.
What do you think about happiness?
Happiness is an inside job and requires oneself to do the work. When I think about happiness, I think about the joy my daughter brings me and how blessed I am that God has seen me worthy to live out my life’s dream, purpose, and journey.
Saadia is a Beauty and Lifestyle Influencer experienced in covering and providing lifestyle, beauty, and fashion content. Her hobbies include teaching women how to highlight the beauty within themselves by teaching them how to apply makeup, and this makes her happy. She has worked with major brands such as M•A•C Cosmetics, SHEIN, Maëlys, Fashion Nova and so much more.
“It isn’t what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it.” ― Dale Carnegie,
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/signaturebydior/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/signaturebydior
- SoundCloud: https://anchor.fm/saadiadior
