Meet Cherie Morrisette | Being inspired is what sparks the little fire for you to achieve your goals.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cherie Morrisette and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cherie, what are you inspired by?
I am inspired by teaching other women their strengths and using their weakness and turn them into their strengths. I was inspired to start Women in Uniform (W.I.U), because after working with police officers as part of my work study program in college, I saw the power struggle between the men and women on the force. The women officers were working twice as hard and was coming up with the ideas on how to solve the problems. I watched the men take credit for majority of the work, when in reality they weren’t the ones that actually did the work.

I recall one event that really touched home and broke my heart. In 2016 or 2017 there was a major shooting that happened Downtown Dallas where El Centro is located. We had lost a lot of officers that day. The Chief at my campus held a meeting about a few days later regarding the shooting. There were people from all over, there was a couple of people that were in the FBI and other officers from different departments. Watching the collaboration that was happening before my eyes was shocking. Seeing person that works in the criminal justice field come together and support each other especially the families of the fallen officers. The impact, that meeting left, sparked a little fire in me that just grew over time.

The words that I spoke in that meeting also left a mark with the officers. Knowing that I was able to give these officers a different prospective on how to rebuild the relationship between the police officers and the community. A few months later I came up with W.I.U based on the experiences I have been through while working with the police, I felt like there isn’t enough support for women that are in male dominated fields and that women needs the proper tools to better prepare themselves on and off the field. I also, wanted to help proved resources and advice for police departments on rebuilding their departments and rebuilding the bridge between them and the community. 

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I currently do security at a hospital, I really enjoy it because there is something different everyday. Before I was a Behavioral Therapist for kids between the ages of 2-10 years old that had been diagnosed with Autism. Being a Behavioral Therapist was my true passion due to my love for psychology and mental health. Having to learn what Applied Behavioral Analyst (ABA) is and how it helps not just for anyone that fell on the spectrum but for anyone who does not fall on the spectrum. It gave me a new insight on how to approach a person with mental health and learn what is going through their minds as each person is different, but how their mind works in certain situations. When it comes down to my love of psychology and my passion for criminal justice, it allows me to be able to approach situations with a different point of view. I plan on using the combination of criminal justice and psychology into W.I.U, to be able to be the voice of reasoning for women in male dominated fields.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
So I was born and raised in Dallas, but recently moved to Fort Worth. In Dallas, I love going to the center of Downtown Dallas to Klyde Warren Park, as they have different events there such as yoga in the morning, movies in the park, etc. There is also this garage there that has the best view of Downtown Dallas at night and a pretty cool chicken riding a skateboard statue. I also enjoy going to the art museum and the Perot Museum. My favorite restaurant is Lazy Dog, because they have the best burgers and drinks, and it is also a good spot to have date night. Since I am a sporty type of person I also go paint balling, laser tag, indoor skydiving, rocking climbing, etc. Some of the best places to do some of these activities is in Grand Prairie.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my big sister La’Quoter. She has been my biggest supporter since I met her in 2016, the best mentor I could ever ask for. She would say that it was all me, but all of the insight that she gave me and helping me find myself after my mom passes and still encouraging me to pursue my dreams. La’Quoter is a police officer herself, she is the true definition of integrity. La’Quoter enjoys working in her community and being a roll model for the younger generation. I made La’Quoter the face of W.I.U because she displays what W.I.U stands for.

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