Shayna Vincent

Shayna Vincent is an Oklahoma native but has resided in North Texas her adult life. She married her high school sweetheart, Devon, and has two daughters, Mila age 8 and Avivah age 4.

In July 2019, at age 34, Shayna was diagnosed with breast cancer. While she was terrified of her own future, she was even more scared for her then 4-year-old and 10-month-old daughters. As she searched for resources and children’s books on how to have these tough and delicate conversations with her oldest daughter, she realized there was little to be found.

She underwent chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, radiation, and 4 additional surgeries. During the diagnosis and treatment chaos, she was encouraged by cancer support groups to turn to writing as a therapeutic coping mechanism. Shayna’s private journaling eventually lead to co-authoring ‘Mama’s Year with Cancer,’ a book about a mother managing chemo from a child’s perspective.

Unfortunately, in October 2021, just as Shayna finally felt cancer was behind her, she found out it had returned and spread to her liver and throughout her bones. She was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, also known as stage 4.

Throughout her illness she’s continued to work full-time, serving as the Director of Professional Development for the University of North Texas at Dallas - Caruth Police Institute. Her work continues to allow her to connect with and help law enforcement leaders by developing and implementing leadership curriculum, with a focus on mental health, communication, and conflict resolution.

She earned a Master’s in Alternative Dispute Resolution from Southern Methodist University and a Bachelor’s in Sociology from University of Texas Arlington.