After being stigmatized because of her involvement with the juvenile justice system and as a dependent of the foster care system; Sade decided at the young age of 15 that she would no longer be subjected to opinions and statistics that were placed on her. Since the age of 15, Sade has been able to overcome all odds against her. During her sophomore year of high school at Mount Miguel High she was told she would not graduate with her class because her credits she earned while attending school at her group home would not transfer. Sade refused to believe the opinions of others and went on to graduate with her graduating class of 2006. This milestone was a pivotal moment in her life because she proved to herself what she was capable of achieving.
After high school Sade ran track at Cuyamaca College; where she went on to be recognized as one of the top student athletes to master an athletic activity while maintaining an astonishing grade point average. Later, Sade attended San Diego State University and earned a full academic scholarship through the Alex Smith Foundation. During her time at San Diego State, she was involved with Guardian Scholars a program to assist former foster youth obtain a higher education. She also served on several boards throughout the community and invested her efforts in lobbying with organizations such as California Coalition for Youth.
Currently, Sade has been recognized throughout the state of California for her efforts to eliminate child abuse; former Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher has been amongst the many to recognize her. As a member of the San Diego Practice Framework team, The Child Abuse Prevention Foundation and Antwone Fisher recognized Sade as an instrumental member of a team that has outlined what child welfare services is and how they want their community to view them.
Sade has dedicated many years to advocating and empowers audiences across the world with her heartfelt message of how to overcome obstacles while reaching for your purpose. She uses her enthusiasm and passion for life to encourage others. In addition to being an advocate for change and an inspirational speaker, Sade is also the author of “What Are You Reaching For?” a book that focuses on how to overcome obstacles while prioritizing your purpose. Ms. Burrell’s ability to connect with her audience has been proven to be effective through the responses of her audiences. Ms. Burrell’s main objective is to provide her audience with principles that will cause them to use critical thinking, which will challenge them in all areas of their lives.
