Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Project Portfolio

Degree Name

Doctor of Leadership in Global Perspectives (DLd)

Department

Seminary

First Advisor

Christine Roush, DMin

Second Advisor

Trisha Welstad, DLd

Third Advisor

Jason Swan Clark, DMin, PhD

Abstract

My current ministry in chaplaincy involves helping those I serve find hope and better coping mechanisms as they deal with life behind bars and to help them remain productive citizens, once released back into the community. Unfortunately, several of these inmates struggle due to countless causes, including unresolved childhood trauma. They often fail to settle back into the community even after release, returning to prison to serve more sentences, a vicious cycle that seems to keep repeating. Similar challenges of failure to thrive are evident among immigrants and refugees, especially child refugees. I was born during a time of civil war between two nations while my parents ran for their lives. I grew up in several refugee camps and struggled to find basic needs for proper Growth and development due to wars, Genocide, and civil unrest. Through my research, the identified NPO was that trauma, racial, and ethnic disparities lead individuals to feel isolated and marginalized. However, despite visible and invisible wounds of trauma, people can thrive and live to their full potential regardless of the challenges they might experience. There is hope for Child refugees and other marginalized members of our community to embrace an opportunity for a second chance to become models of posttraumatic Growth. The wounded can be empowered and equipped to become “hope agents” for those struggling to overcome similar life challenges. This doctoral journey has strengthened my resolve to find ways to inspire hope and faith in others and their ability to bounce back and move beyond their injuries, finding lasting Joy, Peace, and holistic healing. Trauma-informed Leadership and Innovation in Adversity: Resilience on the Wings of Joy A Guide to Posttraumatic Growth project will help these communities and many others remedy their visible and invisible wounds through storytelling and nonjudgmental listening (Relational Connections).

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