Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawn Allison
Hi Shawn , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Shawn Allison: A Story of Redemption and Purpose
Born and raised in Houston’s 3rd Ward, I lived a double life—excelling in academics and sports while deeply involved in the streets. Despite being a straight-A student who once met Duchess Sarah Ferguson for a poetry award, my after-school life was consumed by hustling. At 13, I attended the Scared Straight program, where an inmate warned me that if I didn’t change, I’d be his cellmate. Five years later, I was in prison for the first of five terms.
Each incarceration took its toll. My fourth time in prison, I came home to find my mother dying of lung cancer. My fifth time, just eight days before my release, my father passed away. In 2014, a high-speed chase ended with my arrest while already out on a $100K drug bond. Facing 40 years as a habitual offender, I ultimately took a plea for 15 years—what’s known in Texas as a “baby life sentence.”
Prison didn’t change me immediately—I was still hustling inside. But being sent to George Beto Unit was a turning point. In a program called Bridges to Life, crime victims shared their pain, making me realize that even non-violent crimes have victims. I led AA meetings and noticed a pattern—nearly everyone’s struggles traced back to childhood trauma. That shifted my mindset from what happened to why it happened.
At 40, I was tired of the cycle. I took every self-improvement class I could, hoping for parole. After five denials, I finally made parole—only after I stopped chasing it. While still incarcerated, I enrolled in Alvin Community College’s Substance Abuse Counseling program, which became my path forward.
Returning home was bittersweet—my father was gone, and I had to rebuild from nothing. I worked minimum wage for the first time in my life and used the same discipline I had in the streets to succeed legally. During the pandemic, I graduated Summa Cum Laude. Working as a behavioral technician exposed me to something life-changing: therapy.
Then, tragedy struck again—I watched my childhood friend George Floyd die on national television. More trauma, but this time, I had the tools to process it.
Today, I’m a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, mentor, speaker, podcast host, and majoring in Social Work at Prairie View A&M University.I volunteer in prisons and juvenile facilities, sharing my story to break cycles of recidivism. I created D.A.W.N. Ministries (Dads Are What’s Needed), an initiative teaching young men that masculinity includes more than just anger. I also developed an online course guiding boys on their transition from male to man.
For the first time since I was 13, I’ve been home for nearly six years. My transformation began when I got real with myself—choosing vulnerability, therapy, and personal accountability. The power of a choice changed my life, and now, I’m helping others make that same choice.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Nothing in my life has come easy, and I’m grateful for it. Every hardship revealed my resilience and forced me to unlock a version of myself I never knew existed.
I’ve endured multiple stints in jail, the dangers of the streets, and betrayal from those I loved most. I’ve failed as a father and felt the unbearable pain of burying two of my own children. I watched my mother take her last breath, only to later witness my daughter repeating my mistakes, cycling in and out of the system. Then, I had to grieve her mother’s death as well.
Just days before my final release from prison, my father passed away, robbing me of the chance to make things right with him in person. I was slandered by my daughter, abandoned by so-called friends, and forced to rebuild my relationship with my biological father. I had to unlearn and relearn what it truly means to be a man, even when it went against everything I was taught.
I spoke out against drug use—the very thing that once defined me. I worked minimum wage for the first time in my life, swallowing my pride to build a new foundation. I witnessed my childhood friend George Floyd murdered on national television, reliving yet another trauma in a life already filled with loss.
Despite all of it, I refused to break. Every struggle sharpened me. Every loss fueled me. Every setback became a setup for my transformation. I’m still here, still pushing forward, and now, I use my story to help others find the strength within themselves.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am the founder of D.A.W.N. Ministries, a movement dedicated to equipping boys with the tools to become men of integrity, purpose, and emotional intelligence. We don’t just teach—we transform mindsets, helping young men redefine masculinity and take ownership of their lives.
At D.A.W.N. Ministries, we instill:
1. Emotional intelligence – teaching boys to identify, express, and regulate their emotions.
2. True masculinity – understanding the natural responsibilities of having both X and Y chromosomes.
3. Self-talk mastery – recognizing and rewiring negative thought patterns.
4. Self-respect as the foundation – because only a man who respects himself can truly respect others, especially women.
5. Purpose discovery – helping boys find and embrace their unique calling.
6. The power of male role models – demonstrating manhood so they can lead the next generation.
7. Emotional control – learning healthy ways to manage anger and frustration.
8. Life navigation skills – providing practical tools to thrive in today’s world.
9. The power of choice – reinforcing that every decision shapes their destiny.
10. Strength in vulnerability – proving that real men are not afraid to open up.
11. Self-care and hygiene – because presentation and personal care reflect self-worth.
I am also the author of Breaking the Cycle, a blueprint for ending recidivism, drawn from my own lived experiences. As a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, Certified Anger Resolution Therapist, mentor, speaker, and prison outreach advocate, I use my story to show that transformation is possible, no matter how deep the struggle.
What sets me apart? I don’t just speak change—I embody it. I didn’t just escape the streets and prison; I shattered the cycle and built a new legacy. I don’t teach theories—I teach what I’ve lived.
I’ve buried children, lost both parents, seen my daughter repeat my mistakes, and rebuilt myself from the ground up. I watched my childhood friend, George Floyd, be murdered on national television. I’ve been betrayed, slandered, abandoned, and tested at every level. But instead of breaking, I became unbreakable.
My life is proof that pain can be transformed into power. My story is not just redemption—it’s a revolution.
I don’t just change lives. I change legacies.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that the power of choice determines everything. No matter where you come from, what you’ve been through, or how deep you’ve fallen, you always have the power to make a different decision.
I’ve learned that healing starts with honesty—being real with yourself about your pain, your past, and your patterns. Change doesn’t happen until you stop making excuses and start taking accountability.
I’ve also realized that your environment shapes you, but it doesn’t have to define you. The fastest way to find out who you are is to be around who you’re not. I had to unlearn everything I thought made me a man and rebuild from the inside out.
And most importantly, I’ve learned that service is the key to purpose. My true transformation came when I stopped focusing on myself and started pouring into others. That’s what makes the struggle worth it—using my story to help someone else rewrite theirs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dawnministry.org
- Instagram: Trendsettasgogettas
- Youtube: For Thinkers Only
