Qiana Hicks is a mother, a college graduate, a career professional, and an author. Her parents were drug and alcohol addicts, and her father spent most of Qiana's youth in prison. She has an MBA with a specialization in finance and is now managing a team of IT resources for a pharmaceutical management company in Minneapolis.
Although her life can be categorized as that of a disadvantaged childhood, due to her mother’s substance abuse problems, her biological father’s absence, and her stepfather’s alcohol and drug addictions, she survived a tumultuous youth. Qiana and her siblings suffered from many forms of abuse, neglect, and poverty and had to raise themselves.
At age 15, Qiana became an adolescent-parent. But she worked tirelessly to overcome the challenges of her past and positioned herself to face the obstacles of the future. She finished high school on time, then enrolled in college immediately after graduation, and raised her son while pursuing a college degree and building a career.
Qiana REFUSED to allow her past to determine who and what she would become. She used her experiences as opportunities and lessons for her future, making her wiser and stronger. (I nicknamed her Qiana 'tenacious' Hicks and you will too!)
