Tishina Bowden barely had dreams of stepping foot in Harlem, let alone StreetSquash as a 13-year-old in 2009. A native of the Bronx, Tishina wanted to go to high school in the borough in which she grew up. But her family insisted she attend school in Harlem and it was during her time at FDA 2 that she found out about StreetSquash.
Like many students who walk through our doors, Tishina had no idea what to expect. She just knew it would be a safe place for her to be until her mother got home from work.
“I learned something new and memorable each day through workers, volunteers, and peers,” Tishina said.
And although she’s fond of her memories of traveling to play squash and taking a service trip to Nicaragua, it was the commitment to her studies that she remembers most.
“My fondest memory about StreetSquash is how invested everyone was in my education,” Tishina said. “Seriously, it made a difference.”
But all the traveling she did is not lost on her.
“I remember traveling so much and exploring new cities, states, and even countries with my teammates,” Tishina said. “The tournaments were fun, getting to play with the squash players in other states like Boston, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.”
On a service trip to Nicaragua, she says she had the opportunity to get close to her team.
“I remember support, care, consistency, love, and smiles,” Tishina said. She added that “the trip to Nicaragua deserves its own TV show. We hiked up an active rainforest in mud and hiked back down and we stayed together as a team.”
Following high school, Tishina hopped around various college campuses with the support of StreetSquash’s college access program before ultimately landing at her dream school, UAlbany.
“I did a lot of moving around New York state at my own risk and pace,” Tishina said. “I remember receiving the best support from [former Associate Director of College and Career Success] Assumpta [Galang] as she helped me through my college journey until I was done with my Bachelor’s Degree.”
She earned an Associate’s Degree in Human Service from Tompkins Cortland Community College, in addition to a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Criminal Justice and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from UAlbany.
“The empathy and compassion I received from total strangers turned me into a successful Black social worker,” Tishina said. “I’m a first-generation Master’s degree graduate of my immigrant family, born and raised in the Bronx. Would you believe it?”
Tishina says her experience at StreetSquash proved extremely valuable to her life now.
“I met amazing people who inspired me and introduced me to being open-minded,” Tishina said. “I learned independence and strength.”
Currently, she’s a clinician doing family preventative work. She works with families providing mental health therapy as well as reunification therapy to best keep children at home and families together.
She has advice for students just beginning their journey at StreetSquash.
“Be brave, be different,” Tishina said. “You have an opportunity that will last a lifetime and structure your sense of life. I have been able to conquer so much through facing fears and goals with guidance that I hold with me today.”
