Shannon Locknane, MSW

University of Southern Mississippi: Bachelor’s of Social Work.

University of Southern Mississippi, Masters of Social Work.

A young girl was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean. People watched her with amusement.

She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!”

The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and replied,  “Well, I made a difference for that one!”

The old man looked at the girl inquisitively and thought about what she had done and said. Inspired, he joined the little girl in throwing starfish back into the sea. Soon others joined, and all the starfish were saved. 

We have the rare opportunity to touch the lives of every demographic on the coast here at Coastal.  We are the most inexpensive mental health on the coast, and yet we have some of the best people providing therapy here at Coastal.  No matter what your race, religion, sexual orientation or financial status is…. we are here for you.  I do what I do, because it matters…. even if it’s to just one.

My girls mean the world to me, so I immerse myself in what matters to them along with marching band competitions, gardening, reading, puzzles, and raising my chickens and ducks.