Alumni Profile | Class of 2000
Shannon Ritchie-Johnson
Founder and Executive Director of G.I.R.L.S. Ranch
I remember
my first day as
a sophomore
at CPA —
I felt
immediately
at home. I
had struggled
with anxiety,
and while not
uncommon
for girls that
age, no one
talked about it.
CPA does a phenomenal job of creating
an atmosphere where every student
feels known and that he/she matters.
This atmosphere is critical to the brain
development, identity, and security of
the maturing teenager. Feeling secure in
who I was at CPA allowed me to pursue
my dreams.
While attending college, I knew
I wanted to give back to my local
community but was unsure of the
direction. After several years of
volunteer work with young girls in
poverty, I felt called to go back to school
for my master’s degree in counseling.
In 2005, I attended Regent University
in Virginia Beach, VA. I chose Regent
because I was looking for a nationally
accredited program with a strong
Christian influence. My experience at
CPA reinforced the value of a Christ-
centered academic program, and I’m
not sure I would have pursued a master’s
program had I not been exposed to the
rigorous curriculum at CPA.
I graduated with a Masters of Arts
in Counseling, with a focus in both
clinical and school counseling. I began
work as a professional school counselor
in Rutherford County, TN at a Title 1
school and absolutely loved it! I believe
I was exactly where the Lord wanted me
to be.
The hardest part about being a school
counselor, however, is the devastating
stories. There are vicious cycles of
abuse, poverty, neglect, and addiction
happening right here in our city. I
began the long, laborious search for
an all-girls, faith-based, affordable or
no-cost program that would provide
support services and safety. As I prayed,
I began to feel the place I was searching
for didn’t exist...yet. Jesus was gently
calling me to create that safe space for
the vulnerable.
I am now the Founder and Executive
Director of G.I.R.L.S. Ranch (God
in Real Life Situations), a local non-
profit that invests in the emotional
and spiritual lives of teen girls who
come from difficult situations. In 2012,
G.I.R.L.S. Ranch began our first support
group for middle and high school girls.
G.I.R.L.S. Ranch strives to be a place
of hope and healing for girls ages 9-17
years old, helping them restructure their
identity in Christ so they can make
positive changes to last a lifetime. With
weekly support groups, warm meals,
retreats, camps, community give-backs,
and mentoring, these girls are sharing
new and healthy life experiences.
I pray that seeds of truth are being
planted in fertile soil at G.I.R.L.S.
Ranch. My hope is that the girls will
see themselves as beautiful oak trees
planted for the display of His splendor
and glory (Isaiah 61).
Learn more about G.I.R.L.S.
Ranch by visiting www.girlsranchtn.
org, Facebook, or by emailing
[email protected]
I love G. I.R .L .S. Ra nc h ...
e or
it’s li ke a se cond hom
st.
ki nd of feels li ke m y fir
ve
I feel love d he re an d ha
an d
grown to be m or e open
hon est.
w to
I ha ve al so le ar n ed ho
be m or e trusti ng
of pe ople .
ed
(6th grader who has experienc
homelessness)
I lo ve th e su ppor tiv
e
at m os ph er e of G. I.R
.L .S. Ra nc h .
Ev er y tim e you wa
lk in
you fe el th is wa rm
th .
I ha ve notic ed som
e th in gs in
m y li fe ha ve ch an
ge d sin ce
com in g he re ev er y
we ek . I ha ve
grown cl oser to Go
d an d fe el
confiden t in be in g
m or e op en .
I ha ve notic ed th at
I ha ve al so
be com e m or e ac ce pt
in g of
m ysel f. Th e lea de rs tel
l m e th
ha ve n oti ce d m e
sm ili n g more .
(9th grader from a difficul
28
SEPTEMBER 2017
ey
t family situation)