Marissa Evans
Marissa was born in Charleston, South Carolina on Sept, 27, 1986 to James Sweat and the late Tracy Graham. She is the youngest girl of six, two sisters and three brothers. She grew up in Holly Hill, and graduated from Holly Hill Roberts High. Marissa furthered her education at Midlands Technical College, receiving a certificate in Early Childhood Education in 2017 and an associate degree in Early Childhood Education in 2018. She has been married for seven years to her husband Terence Evans. Together they have three children (Jaylen, Jada and Ny’Asia Evans). Her oldest and only boy, Jaylen, has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and autism. Marissa and her husband are also the founders of the movement #Dontstare which is to raise awareness to how rude staring can be.
The Weight Men Were Never Taught to Put Down
June is Men's Mental Health Awareness month. While we talk about women's mental health quite frequently, I don't think we talk about men's mental...
Reflections on My Children Graduating High School
May 20th was one of the biggest days of my life. My two oldest babies graduated high school together, and I still don’t think...
Celebrating Mother’s Day When the Moms in Your Life are Gone
As Mother’s Day approaches, I find myself thinking deeply about the women who helped shape me into the mother and woman I am today....
Teacher Appreciation :: Celebrating Paige Brown
There are some people who step into your child’s life and simply do their job. And then there are people like Paige Brown, people...
Autism Super Mom :: Celebrating Ebony Hayes
The month of April is Autism Awareness month, with April 27th being Autism Super Mom Day. As a community of moms where Autism affects...
How Raising a Child with Special Needs Shaped My Career Path
Almost a year ago, I made a decision that would change so much of my life. I knew I wanted to do more, to...
More Than a Diagnosis :: Our Autism Journey
My son was diagnosed with autism in March of 2019. But, if I’m being honest, I knew long before then.
As his mother, there were things...
Explore EdVenture’s Newest Exhibit :: Fossils to Futures!
I recently had the opportunity to attend the Fossils to Futures VIP preview party at EdVenture Children’s Museum. Fossils to Future is EdVenture's newly...
Honoring Strength :: National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day
March 25th holds a special place in my heart. It is recognized as National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day, and this year marks the 20th...
How Parenting a Child with Special Needs Changed Me for the Better
No one dreams of a life shaped by constant challenges. No one prays for uncertainty, for exhaustion, for days that test every ounce of...
Personal Growth in the New Year
You don’t have to wait for a New Year to change your life. Growth doesn’t start on January 1st, and healing doesn’t need a...
When You Have the Holiday Blues
The holidays are hard for so many people even though they’re often portrayed as a season filled only with joy, laughter, and togetherness.
Behind...
Please Treat My Child with Special Needs with Respect
I was talking to a friend of mine and her husband recently, who also have a child with special needs, and we ended up...
Letting My Daughter Go as She Grows
My first child has several disabilities, and because of this, I never looked forward to any of my children leaving home. Deep down, I...