An Interview with Shantay Carter of Women of Integrity

Shantay Carter, better known as the Nurse Philanthropist. I am a Registered Nurse, the founder of Women Of Integrity Inc., and Author of Destined For Greatness. 

My passion and purpose is working with women, especially young women to empower and educate them. Through mentorship and volunteerism, I have been blessed to be a blessing to other women in my community. 

What was your motivation to start your own business?

In 2010,  I was going through a very bad break up with my boyfriend at the time . As a result I fell into a very dark place, or what some would call a depression. I was consumed with negative energy, that began to affect me at work, affect my family,  and friends. I knew that I had to channel this negative energy into something positive, or I was headed down the wrong path . 

I decided that, I wanted to do something  that would allow me to give back to my community.  I knew that I always liked working with young people . I was an RA (Resident Assistant)  in college, and totally enjoyed that experience. I also knew that I what I was experiencing, I would have never gotten through it without the love and support of my family and friends. That source of  love and support, I wanted to be able to provide to someone else. 

What path did you take to get to where you are now?

I told my family and friends, that I wanted to start a group of like-minded positive women, who would mentor, volunteer, and be a support system to others . I wanted to especially focus on the women, especially young women in our community. 

Having a background in nursing, has taught me how to interact with all different types of people and assess their needs.  Over the years, I noticed that so many of our young girls have become lost or misguided.  In 2010,  I created Women Of Integrity Inc. as a way to give back to my community. Our goal is to empower and educate women of all ages and ethnicities. 

We are known for our Annual Prom Dress Drive, Prom Dress Giveaway, and Prom Makeover Project. We are hosting our 3rd Annual Women In Business Networking Brunch on February 24th, 2018. We  volunteer with a local high school's after-school mentoring program on a weekly basis. 

Tell me about a project or accomplishment that you consider to be the most significant in your career and why.

One of biggest accomplishments was, receiving our 501C 3. As a 501C3, we can now receive government funding, more sponsors, and people tend to view you as credible non-profit organization. It took us five years to get, but we never gave up.  I have always believed and still believe that we are “Destined For Greatness.” With hard work and perseverance,  you can achieve anything. 

If we circle back here a year from now celebrating what a great year it’s been for you in this role, what would you have achieved?

A year from now, I would want to look back and say that 2018 was an amazing year. It was a year that we grew our membership, we built even stronger ties to our community, we are recognized as source of inspiration and empowerment for the women in our community. As the saying goes " When you educate a woman, you educate a nation."  Our young girls are our future leaders, wives, and mothers. We have to educate, nurture, and protect them. When you educate the women, the community will prosper. 

Creating Women Of Integrity Inc., helped make me a better woman and saved my life. I am so grateful, for all the lives that we have come in contact with and have impacted. I turned my pain into my passion, which led me to my purpose. I enjoy helping others. 

WOI’s upcoming events:

1. Annual Prom Dress Drive is going on now until March 31st, 2018.

2. 3rd Annual Women In Business Networking Brunch will be on February 24th, 2018. 

If anyone would like to become a member, volunteer, or donate, or would like to just learn more about WOI, please visit:

www.womenofintegrityinc.org.
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