When LaShawnda Phillips ’20 (RHSA), ’22 (CAHNR) first moved to her neighborhood in Hartford in 2013 at age 13, she set out to do some exploring. “I took a walk at that time, just looking around the area because I didn’t know Hartford at all, and I looked across the street and found horses,” she says. “I remember thinking, ‘They’re so big.’ I’d never actually seen one in person before.”
The second oldest of nine children whose mother was battling mental health issues, Phillips says the pressures of school and family life were taking a toll on her. “I was shy and nervous, I didn’t like to share my struggles at home and my background, so I would just keep it to myself,” she recalls.
Those horses across the street turned out to be her saving grace. They belonged to Ebony Horsewomen, an urban riding center offering equine-assisted psychotherapy programs to the youth of Hartford. Since 1984, the programs have helped young people develop confidence and learn to express their emotions.
Phillips first began volunteering at the center to complete her high school’s community service requirement. Patricia Kelly, founder of Ebony Horsewomen, suggested Phillips begin riding as a regular participant. “She knew my situation at home wasn’t great — Mom was struggling, I was struggling, and she decided, ‘We are going to take you into our arms,’” Phillips says.
Then, an anonymous donor stepped forward to fund her riding through high school.
