Brenda Combs is a symbol of inspiration and perseverance to all who meet her. Fewer than 12 years ago, she was a homeless crack addict, a petty criminal, a gaunt and hopeless wreck who had been shot and beaten and raped during the endless years she called a freeway underpass in the worst part of Phoenix home. It took hitting rock bottom for Combs to find the strength to turn her life around, on a blistering summer day.
As a woman who at one time could not help herself, Combs now spreads a message of hope wherever she goes. Her journey has not been an easy one, however. Growing up in a middle-class family in Northern Arizona, she fell into a bad crowd, began using drugs, and dropped out of school. Her life continued on a downward spiral, leading to her serving jail time and becoming homeless. During her darkest days on the streets, she endured unspeakable trauma, including being beaten, shot and raped.
Her journey, which has been called From Homeless to Hero by local media, has received tremendous national coverage, including an article in Readers Digest and interviews on The Today Show and on CNN News. She has also appeared on radio talk shows across the country, and invited to sing and share her message at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.
If I can do it anybody can do it. I believe in myself and my ability to do my best. Im intelligent and Im capable of achieving greatness. I think every person has inside of them what it takes to succeed. The day I woke up on the streets and someone had stolen the shoes off my feet, was the day I knew I had to change my life. I knew God had a better plan for my life than this.
Combs began taking major steps to re-enter society as a productive individual. She entered rehab and worked hard to overcome her addictions. While living in a halfway house, Combs took a part-time job at a school located in an at-risk neighborhood not far from the streets that had been her home. As she worked with these special children, she knew she had found her lifes calling to teach and to inspire by sharing her own story of overcoming tremendous obstacles.
Once she set her sights on becoming a teacher, there was no stopping her. As a single mother of a young son, she juggled three jobs while earning a bachelors degree in Human Services. She taught at a school for children with special needs, and continued to pursue her education at Grand Canyon University (GCU), where she earned a masters degree in Education in 2007. Today, she is pursuing a Doctorate in Education Organizational Leadership under a scholarship presented to her by GCU, becoming one their first doctoral students. She travels around the country sharing her story as GCUs Ambassador of Inspiration & Achievement with a variety of audiences, including youth groups, churches, and professional organizations.
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