Listen and Lead: The Story of Shannon Deitz

As soon as the bell rang after eighth period, a sea of plaid flooded the auditorium and settled into the seats. The buzz of anticipation hung in the air as all eyes focused on the woman standing at the front of the room. 

This woman is Shannon Deitz, the founder of Hopeful Hearts ministry and the latest in a speaker series put on by the Young Leaders Program, an organization that prepares young women for a life of leadership. One of the primary teachings of this organization is the importance of service leadership, which Deitz exemplifies in her creation of a non-profit that helps survivors of abuse continue on their healing journey. However, long before Hopeful Hearts ministry opened its doors, Shannon Deitz found herself in a situation very similar to the individuals she now seeks to help.

Shannon was a figure of calm as she raised the microphone in front of her face and began to tell her heartbreaking yet inspiring story. 

“Two weeks before my 17th birthday, I was raped by a male friend I’d known since sixth grade,” she said to her rapt audience. “I began to live life like a victim, thinking ‘poor me’ all the time.” 

As if that wasn’t tough enough to handle, she also experienced difficulties at home and with friends. To escape these hardships, Shannon chose to attend a college she had never visited before where she knew she wouldn’t know anyone. However, her struggles were far from over. 

“I was raped again at the end of my freshman year,” she explained. “I continued to play the victim. I was just giving myself away.” After this attack, she experienced years of anger and resentment before going to counselling, where she pored out these negative emotions and began looking toward what God wanted to do in her life. She realized she was meant to use her experiences to help other people, so she spoke publicly, internationally, about what had happened to her. She started Hopeful Hearts ministry to give voice to other survivors of abuse so they’d feel understood and less alone.

By now, it was almost time for the dismissal bell to ring, but no one made any move to gather their belongings. The students remained captivated as she left us with her parting words. “A hurt is a hurt,” she said. She recommended we talk through our issues with someone we trust instead of letting it fester, because you “can hinder someone else from fulfilling their purpose if you don’t fulfill yours.”

Moments later, the bell rang and she was met with raucous applause.