Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzanne Shurling.
Hi Suzanne, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been one of those people who can’t really sit still when something needs doing. If there’s a problem, I want to help fix it. If somebody’s hurting, I want them to know they’re not alone in it. I was raised believing that community isn’t just a nice idea… it’s a responsibility. You help people when you can because one day you may be the one needing help yourself.
That mindset eventually led me into both advocacy and activism. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Psychology, followed by a Master’s degree in Sociology and a second Master’s degree in Public Administration focused on nonprofit management. I was born in Savannah, raised in Effingham and I’ve lived in Bulloch County since 2007, and over the years, my work naturally grew into community organizing, nonprofit leadership, and advocacy work centered around vulnerable populations.
“Activism through advocacy” is probably the best way to describe my life’s work. Sometimes that looks like leading rallies, speaking at marches and protests, and helping organize around issues that matter. Other times, it’s quieter work… advocating for children in foster care, supporting survivors of sexual assault, training volunteers, or helping people navigate failing systems during some of the hardest moments of their lives.
Today, I work with Child Advocacy Services SEGA supporting CASA volunteers who advocate for children in foster care, and with The Teal House supporting survivors of sexual assault. I also serve on One Boro, the City of Statesboro’s commission, which I was proud to be a founding member of and helped to write the nondiscrimination ordinance that was passed in 2020.
At the end of the day, I don’t really see any of this as extraordinary. There are so many people quietly doing this kind of work every day. I just happen to be someone who has a hard time looking away when there’s a problem that needs solving or a person who needs somebody in their corner. And admittedly, somewhere along the way, I became the person who accidentally volunteers for everything. At this point, I’ve accepted that trying to save the world through color-coded calendars and community advocacy may just be my natural state of being.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not! I think anybody who tells you advocacy or activism is a smooth road is either bluffing, hasn’t been doing it very long… or honestly just isn’t doing it right! This work puts you face-to-face with trauma, injustice, burnout, and systems that often fail the very people they’re supposed to protect. There are days that are incredibly heavy.
A lot of my passion for this work also comes from personal experience. I lost my Daddy violently at a young age, and I’m also a survivor of domestic violence and sexual assault myself. Those experiences changed me profoundly and taught me firsthand how important advocacy, support, and community are when someone’s world falls apart.
I think that’s one of the reasons this work means so much to me. Helping other people heal has also helped heal parts of me. Whether I’m advocating for a child in foster care, supporting survivors, or organizing around issues that matter, I know how life-changing it can be to simply have someone in your corner who refuses to look away.
And of course, balancing everything can be a challenge. Advocacy work doesn’t really clock out at 5 PM. But despite the hard days, I still believe deeply in people and in community. I’ve seen too much kindness and resilience not to.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work centers around advocacy, community engagement, and trauma-informed support. Professionally, I work with Child Advocacy Services SEGA supporting CASA volunteers who advocate for children in foster care, and with The Teal House supporting survivors of sexual assault. A lot of what I do is helping people navigate incredibly difficult situations while making sure they still feel seen, heard, and supported.
I think in both my work and community advocacy, people tend to know me for balancing compassion with fierce protectiveness. I can be very nurturing, patient, and gentle with the people I’m advocating for, but when it’s time to fight for them, I become pretty fearless and fiery very quickly. I’m not afraid to challenge systems, speak up in uncomfortable rooms, or push back when people in my community are being ignored or mistreated. I’m fiercely protective of the people I serve, and honestly, that’s probably what I’m most proud of.
I think what sets me apart is that this work is personal for me. As someone who has survived trauma myself, I understand on a very real level how important compassion, advocacy, and support can be. That ability to empathize deeply with people, while also being willing to go toe-to-toe with systems on their behalf, is at the heart of everything I do.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Honestly, I think what surprises people most is probably how unserious I can be outside of the work. People see me speaking at rallies, advocating in courtrooms, organizing community efforts, or passionately debating policy issues, and I think they expect me to spend every waking moment being serious and composed. In reality, I’m just as intense about laughing loudly, having a good time, and finding joy wherever I can.
When I’m off the clock, I’m usually unwinding with some good old-fashioned trashy reality television, HGTV marathons, or riding around absolutely belting 90s music at the top of my lungs, which is objectively one of the greatest decades of music ever created… second only to maybe the 60s. Advocacy work can be heavy, so I fully believe joy, humor, and a little harmless chaos are necessary for survival.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cas-sega.org/ and https://thetealhouse.org/ and https://www.statesboroga.gov/oneboro
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetealhousestatesboro/ and https://www.instagram.com/childadvocacyservicessega/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetealhouse and https://www.facebook.com/ChildAdvocacyServicesSEGA
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanneshurling/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@childadvocacyservicessega
