On September 17, 2022, Mary Vaughn of Sweet Mary Kay will speak to young women of The Gate of Lenoir County. The talk is for females 12 and older and will begin at 6:00 pm at The Gate.

Vaughn moved to North Carolina from Fort Wayne, Indiana at 13 and wasn’t thrilled with the change. She acted out in ways that resulted in her being part of the Juvenile Justice System. She felt misunderstood by the adults in her life.

“I became really angry with my parents because they told us we were going to move,” said Vaughn. “I started really rebelling and getting in trouble. I end up expelled in middle school and had to go to an alternative school.”

At 16, Vaughn rededicated her life to the Lord and returned to her Christian foundation. From there, she did youth speaking and youth ministry. She’s the author of From Trash to Treasure: He Saved My life. Besides her work with ministry, Vaughn is a licensed social worker.

Vaughn was on The Gate board member Khayyam Shephard’s Podcast called The Watchman’s Alert. Shephard knew her story and told her about The Gate.

“He knew I had a story,” said Vaughn.

Vaughn experience a lot of difficulties in her life. Just as her past doesn’t define her present, she wants to show others theirs doesn’t either.

“They are created beautifully,” said Vaughn about her intended audience. “They are valuable. They have a purpose in life. They can be themselves, confidently and uniquely. They don’t have to be like everyone else, and that they have a voice.”

Vaughn can be found on social media at Instagram and TikTok @sweet_marykay. Her website is www.sweetmarykay.com.