Cherise Shockley, a resident of Noblesville, had a goal of getting her degree in mass communication before she was 40. As the creator of the online community Diabetes Social Media Advocacy, she became skilled at social media marketing and wanted to make it her career. However, between her advocacy work, being a working mother and moving often because of her husband’s job in the military, Shockley lacked the time for traditional college. Therefore, she enrolled in Arizona State University (ASU) Online at age 37.
Shockley, now 38, accomplished her goal and graduated May 6. ASU flew her to Arizona to receive her degree in person as a representative of ASU Online. Sitting in the ASU auditorium was emotional for Shockley and her family. The degree was the culmination of Shockley’s hard work as both a social media advocate and as a student.
“I was filled with so much pride,” said Shockley’s husband, Scott. “I probably was as emotional as she was to fulfill that dream she’s talked about since we’ve been together.”
Shockley’s journey to her degree began when she was diagnosed with latent autoimmune diabetes at age 23. She felt overwhelmed with stigmas and misconceptions about the disease. For example, Shockley was too paranoid to touch sugary food. She felt doctor appointments addressing her diabetes were too short and infrequent to talk about the stress from the disease.
Then Shockley discovered the online diabetes community. Its members swapped stories with Shockley and gave her diabetes lifestyle tips. Eventually Shockley felt accepted and developed confidence as someone with diabetes.
“When I found this community, it opened up my world,” Shockley said. “… The diabetes community helped me find my voice.”
In 2010, Shockley wanted to help others in a similar way, so she created Diabetes Social Media Advocacy, a platform to share stories about diabetes and combat stigmas and myths such as all diabetes patients being obese. At one point, the page had the world’s largest Twitter chat. Currently, Diabetes Social Media Advocacy has over 19,400 Twitter followers.
To illustrate the support group members give to each other, Shockley recalled Simon, a member who lives in Australia. Simon felt isolated and near suicidal as he coped with the disease until joining Diabetes Social Media Advocacy. To show his gratitude, Simon worked overtime to save money to travel to the U.S. to meet Shockley and other members of the group to thank them in person for saving his life. Shockley said stories like as Simon’s encourage her to continue Diabetes Social Media Advocacy.
“Every time I think that [Diabetes Social Media Advocacy] ran its course and I want to stop, I get a note from Simon,” Shockley said. “It’s kinda like divine intervention.”
Her experience operating Diabetes Social Media Advocacy, led Shockley to consider a professional career as a social media marketer. However, she needed a degree. With family and work obligations, Shockley didn’t see how school could fit into her already packed schedule. Plus, she tried community college before. At 21 and a parent, Shockley felt out of place among the teenagers who are traditional college age. Eventually, she found ASU Online.
Shockley also stepped into a social media space very similar to the advocacy page she created with Sun Devils Connect, ASU Online’s official Facebook page. The page helped Shockley connect with other students attending ASU Online. The students helped each other with homework, offered advice on whose class to take and offered fitness challenges. Through the Facebook page, Shockley befriended fellow working mothers, member of military families and others who could relate to her experience. Shockley would often study with her peers over the phone until 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. Sometimes they would explain difficult concepts to each other, and encourage each other to hang in there.
“With ASU, what I found is no matter what age someone is, we are all going through the same struggles, and it kind of became this community where strangers from all different walks of life studying different degrees come together. … I felt like I belonged with this community of people at ASU.”
All the late nights and sacrifices paid off when Shockley earned her degree in mass communication and media studies. Now she’s putting her experience and education to use as social media and marketing specialist for Roche Holding AG and by continuing Diabetes Social Media Advocacy. Shockley plans to launch a spinoff account advocating for women of color with diabetes.
“People look at social media as this bad thing, but if you look for the good things and you look for community … that is when you find your tribe,” Shockley said. “That is when you find the people that you connect with. That is when you your community, and that is when the magic happens.”
Contact staff writer Ben Lashar at 317-762-7848. Follow him on Twitter @BenjaminLashar.
Cherise Shockley had a goal of completing her degree before she turned 40, but between being a working mother and her advocacy work, she lacked the time for traditional college. Therefore, she enrolled in Arizona State University Online, and Shockley fulfilled her goal with two years to spare when she graduated on May 6. (Photo provided)
