Diana Shinall [Madison Apprenticeship Program series]

Diana Shinall is MAP’s founder, director and instructor, but she says she knows hard times as well as any of the students who come through her door. A native of Gary, Indiana, Shinall simultaneously experienced divorce, supported her son as he faced prison time, and endured the death of her grandson. Shinall wrote a book about her experiences, which now she hands to each student when they enroll in class.

Shinall established MAP in 2005 after she decided that Madison’s struggling Allied Community needed a program that could strengthen peoples’ self-esteem as well as their job-skills. Shinall used her background in social work to start a case management brokerage firm, which she still operates along with MAP.

In this audio slideshow, Shinall discusses where she finds the inspiration to continue her work. 

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