The Torch

Issue date: 6/3/10 Section: Features

Shakelah Morgan was encouraged by Joelle Goodwin, Mrs. Eugene of 2009, to compete in the Eugene pageant. Fitting the new activity between motherhood and business, Shakelah found unexpected rewards. [Click to enlarge]

Shakelah Morgan family photo - Foster son Deshone Brooks (upper left) is the most recent addition to the Morgan family. Next to him is Myguel with Shakelah and husband Arnold. Below (from left to right) is Malik, Maliya and Emanuel with Samoje in the front. [Click to enlarge]

Dreams are thoughts - actions make reality.

Shakelah Morgan, 35, is Mrs. Eugene 2011. She and her husband Arnold are making their dreams a reality.

Shakelah is a mother of six, a pageant queen, an owner of four businesses - two of them co-owned with her husband - and a student at Lane.

She plans on graduating from Lane in the fall of 2010 and applying to the University of Oregon Law School. Her goal is to become a judge in juvenile court.

Companies

The Morgans opened Blessings Hair Design in Eugene in 1999. Shakelah knew how to care for ethnic children's hair and found the local demand was not being met. They opened Lil Blessings Daycare four years later in the room adjacent to the hair business to accommodate the need for clients who have children. They opened Lil Blessings Too in Springfield this year.

"BS1Network came about from listening to the many frustrated parents who came into my salon wanting information on how to care for their adopted children's hair," Shakelah said.

Brian Sims, a stylist of 27 years, and Shakelah created a DVD that Holt International purchased to give to parents who adopted children from Ethiopia. They have since begun to create other DVD's and hold free classes every month at Blessings salon.

Inspiration

Two years ago Carla Gary, the assistant vice-president for institutional equity and diversity and director of the Oregon Young Scholars program at University of Oregon, convinced Shakelah not to wait. With a supportive husband and children entering school, Shakelah decided she could schedule her day around family and be able to lay the foundation for her dreams.

"Shakela is an incredible unit of energy who has a wonderful family whom she supports through sports and whatever else they pursue," Gary said. "She successfully operates a hair salon and daycare center, is enrolled full time at LCC all the while running for Mrs. America? Really?"

He said Shakelah inspires him. "She does this style that shares grace and joy for her many blessings [to others]."

"My grandmother … had wanted to attend law school but was denied because she was black," Shakelah said. "It has always been my dream to finish that step for her, but I had said I was going to wait until my children finished school. And, once my husband and I became foster parents to our foster son, I knew that family law was what I wanted to do."

Family

"Shakelah is very caring and loving, a great mother figure," Deshone Brooks, her foster son, said. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her."

Shakelah has five boys and one girl. Deshone is her sixth son through the foster care program. Her oldest is 17 and will be entering the Marines in June and my youngest is six and attends Willamette Christian School.

"I work when they are in school and make sure that I'm home by 5:30 every night and that we have supper together as a family," Shakelah said. "Afterwards, I help them with homework."

All the children have a 3.5 GPA or higher. The boys enjoy basketball and Shakelah's daughter Maliya, 8, participates in cheerleading, dance and the Little Miss Lane County Mentoring Program. All enjoy family vacations once or twice a year. They are going to Maui this year, where Shakelah's brother is getting married.

Expenses for a family of eight are provided for by two busy parents. The food bill alone can reach $700 per week.

Arnold is a co-owner of Blessings Hair Design and Beauty Supply and the head basketball coach at Churchill High School. Besides being a co-owner, Shakelah is busy with both daycares and BS1 Network Inc. In total, the businesses hire approximately 11 employees and four independent contractors.

Business

"Shakelah is truly an inspiration," Mildred Mick, Blessings hair design manager, said. "She strives to do her best at everything she does every day … and she really encourages everyone around her to be successful and strong." She said she has learned a lot from Shakelah and will continue to strive to be a better person, thanks to her encouragement.

"I feel so blessed to know her and work by her side," Mick said.

The typical day in the life of this businesswoman, student, mother and wife is one of structure. During her day she also finds time to educate adoptive and foster parents on the basic hair and skin care of different ethnic backgrounds.

She gets up at 5:30 a.m., fixes the children's breakfast and lunches, makes sure faces are washed, schedules of everyone's daily activities are acknowledged, begins her daily tasks - school, work etc. - while Arnold takes the children to school, has a family dinner on the table at 5:30 p.m. and is asleep by 11 p.m. "no exceptions," she said.

"Shakelah is my wife, my queen, my everything," Arnold said. She and Arnold have been married 15 years.

"My husband and I just make it work," Shakelah said. "I believe God gives me the strength to do all that I do and my family gives me the support and encouragement I need to be successful."

Shakelah said that she is preparing for the Mrs. Oregon Pageant. It will fulfill a childhood dream and she wants to show her children that whatever their dreams are, they can have them too.

Overcoming and going forward

"Many times social and economic standards, racial issues and prejudice can stand in your way, but I want my children to know that their mom worked hard and not just to put food on the table," Shakelah said. "I have dreams too, and I strive to encourage them and show them that you might not always get there - because life happens - or maybe you will get there at a different time, but trying and pushing yourself is the only way you will find out if it was meant to happen."

"I am very proud of Shakelah," Jeffrey Hicks, Shakelah's father, said. "She has done a good job with her family and herself." He lives in Massachusetts. He believes Shakelah does her best and he misses her.

"Shakelah has been success-minded from an early age," Debra Abbot, Shakelah's mother, said. "I always knew she would be successful and she would marry someone likeminded. She has fulfilled that goal. Her goal to be a judge is family oriented. It was a dream of my mother's." Barbara Abbott and Shakelah are carrying that dream to become a judge. Debra said she couldn't be more proud.

Shakelah hoped to bring attention to Adoption Connections of Oregon, a non-profit organization she volunteers for. Adoption Connections hosts fun and educational events for all adoptive families.

"Shakelah is an amazing woman who is so caring and sharing," Elise Crum, president of the Eugene Adoption Connections office, said. "She donates a lot of time with me, educating people on how to care for ethnic hair."

"I feel that you only live once so you should do all that you want and are capable of doing in your lifetime," Shakelah said. "I wanted to be a wife and mother, but I also always wanted to own my own business."

Shakelah said she was intrigued by her husband when she met him because he owned businesses in Portland. After Arnold taught Shakelah what he knew, she found places like the SBA and Score to guide her from there. She never took out loans to open any of her businesses.

Having a large family didn't hold the Shakelah and Arnold back. They are teaching that lesson to their children.

"I want my children to know that they can be or do anything they want," Shakelah said.

To contact Shakeelah or one of her many businesses, call Mildred Mick at 541-344-2994.

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