My name is Shannon Peace and yes, that is my real last name! I am the mother of 5 children (19 year old daughter, 16 ½ year old step daughter, 16 year old son, 7 year old daughter, and 3 year old son) and married to my 3rd husband. Currently, we live in Riverside (which is about an hour from Disneyland and Hollywood) in Southern California. I am working on an Associate’s degree with a specialization in Criminal Justice and am already pre-enrolled to complete my Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice with a specialization in Forensics and intend to continue my education at CTU on to the Doctorate level. I plan to double major in Computer Forensics while I work towards becoming a Forensic Entomologist. Since about 7th grade, I have been interested in working as an Entomologist (the study of bugs), but I have wanted to be a Forensic Entomologist since just after graduating high school.
I graduated high school with honors and a 4.3 4-year average GPA. I have always loved and excelled in school and hope that this endeavor will be the same. In addition, by the time I graduated high school I was published at least 10 times in national anthologies for poetry, received numerous “Editor’s Choice” awards, and was inducted into the “Who’s Who of American High School Students.” I had my first child when I was in 11th grade, which is a primary reason why I recently started my college education in May 2010 at Ashford University and transferred to CTU in January 2011. I did get accepted to the University of Redlands (in California) Medicine program with a scholarship back in 1994 when I graduated high school, but I decided that I could never raise my child again and I could always go back to school! As a result, I declined the acceptance and the scholarship. Now, it is the time live up to the 18 years of saying that; and it is before any of my children are in college themselves! In an effort to continue my education after high school, I went to a non-accredited school to study Bible and Ministry. I acquired an Associate’s Degree equivalent and was less than 5 classes away from completing the Bachelor’s Degree equivalent when the program closed unexpectedly! It was not for the degree, but rather the experience, that I chose to attend that school and I had an amazing experience. I love learning and the challenge it presents, even though it can be a struggle managing all facets of life; but this time it is for the degree as well!
I have worked in Real Estate (for Title and Escrow companies) since 1998, am on the employment rollercoaster with everyone else, and was laid off on May 2011. I have only worked approximately 6 months (cumulatively) since December 2008 due to either being laid off or on disability (for my back, stress, or maternity leave). In addition, I run a business in legal services from home on a part-time basis and was just inducted into N.A.P.W. (National Association of Professional Women) in September 2011.
Numerous doctors have diagnosed with Osteoarthritis, Spinal Stenosis, Degenerative Disk Disease, and two bulged disks in late 2008 and they all affect my lower back (lumbar spine). My doctor suggested a career change to better accommodate my back problems, so I started seriously considering returning to school to pursue my childhood dreams. I am also deathly anemic and I have even had a transfusion for my anemia. Last school session, I almost died from it (around the 4th week) and it resulted in my failing both classes. As a result, and in order to avoid having to pay to continue my education here at CTU, I had to “decelerate” the remainder of my classes, which pushes out my graduation a few months.
Outside of school, family, and work, I love social media and all things internet related which is why I am going to work towards a double major in Computer Forensics. I love various forms of personal expression (music, art, writing, tattoos, piercings, etc.) I am an “all-or-nothing” type of girl and I give everything I do nothing less than 100%.
Twitter: @shannon_peace
FaceBook: MrsShannonPeace
YouTube: TheShannonPeace
MySpace: WoGirl
Yahoo: socal_sassy_girl
AIM: MrsPeace1025
Windows Live/MSN: americana1217
