Sandie Herron – A life more abundant

IT is not every mother who would be comfortable allowing her 16-year-old daughter to leave home in search of a better life, but in Sandie Herron’s case, this is exactly what happened.

Herron, 29, who was born and raised in the inner-city community of Seaview Gardens, St Andrew, told All Woman that growing up in poverty she had dreams of being more than what she saw and was accustomed to, and while she was attending Wolmer’s Girls’, she made the decision to leave home and maximise her potential elsewhere.

“I had dreams of being on TV and giving speeches. I remember when I got to that age I felt that if I didn’t leave the environment I’d be stifled and it wouldn’t facilitate my growth,” she said.

“I have always wanted more and I didn’t accept the limitations that were placed on me. When I shared my dreams with the people around me I would always be reminded that I was poor and it was a struggle to rise above that and break free of that mindset.”

As a result Herron said she openly asked a group of friends from school which one of them she could live with, and one offered to ask her mother.

“My mom didn’t agree initially and she only spoke to my friend’s mother on the phone by my prompting, but I was strong-headed and though my mom resisted I was set on leaving,” Herron said.

And so, at 16, Herron left home and embarked on a journey which she said changed her life forever.

“It wasn’t easy. When I tried to make friends with the people in the new environment some of their parents were condescending. I was away from family and I felt very alone even though I was shown love and kindness. It was very different and I felt out of place, but I wanted more out of life and it wasn’t out of my reach,” she said.

Herron explained that though she kept her dreams alive, she became very angry as her parents didn’t come to visit her, but with the help of her friend’s mother, Paulette McLean, her life became ordered.

“She was instrumental in my development and she was an anchor of strength in my life. She didn’t accept limitations and those times that I felt unloved and rejected she really helped me to overcome them and to blossom,” Herron said.

After overcoming that period, Herron became the first from her family to enrol at the University of the West Indies (UWI) where she pursued a bachelor’s degree in literatures in English as she admits that she enjoys writing. After her time at UWI, she began working in a law firm and sought training as a paralegal, a job title she has had for the past six years. But she said during this time she was on a path where she enjoyed life but was not fulfilling her purpose.

Subsequently, in search of her purpose, she began attending church in 2011, became a Christian and started considering a higher calling. She said this led her to film, particularly video production, which she has since used as an avenue to inspire individuals.

“Choosing this as the next path was not easy. I’ve always been fascinated with cameras and I went to the Media Technology Institute and did training in video production — editing. There’s one path expected and carved out before you and there’s an unlikely way, that nobody usually understands. I have a job that’s paying the bills and you have people who will ask what I’ll do with video production. I had that struggle of people trying to sway me,” she said.

But she kept her focus and is now producing short, inspirational films with the help of photographer/videographer Jovian Blair of Above and Beyond Productions, which she shares on social media through her website OurEvidence.com.

“You have the experience, you have the story, so what are you doing with it? Through my Christian walk I know the desire I have for film is not just a hobby, it’s something God has placed in me to reach others and it’s my form of ministry,” she said.

She added that one of her films, Way of Escape, released in December, premiered at Triple Century Sports Bar, which was a humbling experience.

“In the scheme of things I’m not one of the best, but believing it was possible and making a step allowed that to happen and it was a demonstration to me of what is possible,” she said.

Additionally, Herron said her fighting spirit has been part of what’s kept her thus far and motivated her to continue going after her dreams.

“It’s simply believing I’m meant to be more and things that happened didn’t happen by chance. I’m always seeking more and wanting to improve,” she said.

Her philosophy and daily mantra include a Nelson Mandela quote that courage is not the absence of fear but the triumph over it, and Mark 9:23, which states that everything is possible for he who believes.

“Whatever you hold in your mind is most powerful. Everything that manifests in your life starts in your head first. If you don’t believe, you lose before you make an attempt. There’s power in that and it propels you into possibilities. I never accepted my limitations and I’m glad for it. It was part of the puzzle and it helped to build who I am,” she said.