Daily Inspiration: Meet Kasey Shaver

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kasey Shaver. 

Hi Kasey, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I’m a mother of two beautiful and kind daughters Rebecca, 24, and Katie, 21, and have been married to Todd Shaver for over 25 years. I enjoy working out and staying busy and usually have a few projects going at once!

I’ve worked for North Star Youth Partnership, a program of Catholic Charities, since November 1, 2007. I started at 10 hours as an Administrative Assistant, but in 2008, I revamped and took over the Baby Ready or Not program. It uses high-tech infant simulators to let teens understand the consequences of teen pregnancy. Soon after, I stepped into the role of Teen Maze Coordinator, a sizeable yearly event held at the Prescott Activity Center. Over 1600 students participate by spinning wheels, rolling dice, tossing balls, and answering questions about topics they deal with as teens. Activities like “walking the line” while wearing simulation goggles, or ringing a buzzer, drive home the lessons in a fun way. In 2015 while talking to a friend, we noted that there wasn’t any babysitting training in our town and the closest one was over 100 miles away! After further research, I found Safe Sitter®, a nationally recognized babysitter training for kids in middle school that had been around since 1980. North Star is a registered Safe Sitter Site, and I have personally trained over 250 students. In March of 2020, I added the Safe@Home program for students too young for Safe Sitter but that are home alone often, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic caused students to virtual school while their parents remained working in essential professions.

Being a mother of two daughters and working with the youth for over 14 years, I felt that children needed to learn how to be kind and think of others at a young age. So, in 2015, I wrote a children’s book, “Dandy the Lion: Helping Others,” to inspire kids of all ages to think of ways to help others! In early 2016, I spent many hours creating the watercolor illustrations, and the book was released in November of 2016. Over the next few months, I read my story to over 13 schools and 25 classrooms. Reading my story and engaging children in a conversation about kindness is a passion, and it brings me such a joy to hear their answers on how they can help others! Most children want to help others, and this dialog encourages them to do so!

I joined a worship band in my forties. I would encourage anyone to join a chorus or band at a church; it was the best learning environment! You are never too old to start doing what you are passionate about. It led me to a group of incredible musicians, and we formed the band Smoke & Mirrors. I am a vocalist, percussionist, booking manager, and publicist for the group, and we are based out of Prescott. We’ve traveled all over AZ and even released an album, “Start With This Dance” Before COVID, we were busy most weekends and had a considerable following.

My background?

I am the middle of five children, and my mother was excellent and found things for us to do. She inspired us and always had fun projects planned, allowing her to have time with us and create beautiful things from making jewelry, painting pottery, papier-mache dolls and kachinas, baking and decorating cakes and cookies. My favorite thing was the gingerbread houses she made each Christmas. They were different every year and sometimes were replicas of our home.

My mother enrolled my sister and me in the Phoenix Parks and Recreation programs each summer five days a week when I was very young. I explored other sports like archery, fencing, gymnastics and participated in drama, craft club, and home economics, where we learned to sew and cook. I especially enjoyed gymnastics and spent many hours doing back-handsprings and aerials in my yard.

I also love to sing. My mom said it was uncanny to know the words to every song! It didn’t matter genres, rock, country, and pop; I would belt it out!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Just like most people, I didn’t have a perfect childhood. There was sexual abuse which led to insecurity, self-sabotage, and doubt. I’ve gone to therapy and worked through it. It is no longer an issue because of the support from my wonderful husband of 25 years and close friends. It hasn’t been erased, but it doesn’t define me.

I struggled in school and was often distracted in class, but if you showed me how to do something, I had a good grasp of how to duplicate it. I can also visualize outcomes, see how things work mechanically, and follow through with the project, especially if it had a floor plan or diagram.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I bring a creative side to the North Star Youth Partnership program and enjoy creating posts for our social media pages.

I am currently learning digital art, and I spent many hours creating cool projects for work, family, and friends.

My co-workers and I came up with a design, and I was honored to create a wreath to enter at the 2021 “Festival of Trees” in Prescott. Our wreath won two awards- “Best Traditional Wreath” and “People’s Choice – Wreath.” It was also the first wreath sold on night one of the four-day events!

I was also the 2019 “Girls & Sports Day” guest speaker, encouraging the girls to “Learn, Lead and Shine.”

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love my city for its beauty and people. The courthouse square has much to be desired! Shops, galleries, restaurants, and historic “Whiskey Row.” It’s also known as “Arizona’s Christmas City.” There is often something going on downtown! Parades, car shows, concerts, arts and craft fairs, and sporting events like the Whiskey Row Marathon and cross-country cycling. Prescott has so many excellent trails that it is where Olympic participant Chloe Woodruff calls home. There are plenty of things to do outdoors all around the city and outside the city limits. Prescott and the surrounding area have many bikes, horses, and leisure trails. Prescott has the best weather too! Mild winters with an occasional dusting of snow, and mild summers with long days of relaxing and enjoying the sites! Colors of pink, purple, orange, and blue are displayed in the gorgeous sky nightly.

Dislikes. Although it is considered a small town, it’s growing a little too rapidly! I can’t blame anyone from wanted to move here, but the cost of housing is so high our adult children cannot afford to stay here. Most though, make it back eventually.

Pricing:

• $10. Dandy The Lion: Helping Others- Paperback, signed and inscribed.
• $20. Dandy The Lion: Helping Others- Hardback Signed and inscribed.

Contact Info:

• Email: kaseyshaver67@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaseyshaver67/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kasey.o.shaver