ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born in the serene hills of Stony Hill, Jamaica, Dawn Smikle is a living testament to resilience, faith, and the power of transformation who exemplifies strength through adversities. Her journey began in pain, having endured the unimaginable at the hands of those meant to protect her. Molested by her father and his brother, her uncle, at a young age, Dawn was later left at the Spanish Town Police Station in the 90s by her mother. From there, she was placed into the custody of the state and brought to Glenhope Place of Safety by Officer Gordon. The years in government care could have broken her—but instead, they became the soil where seeds of courage and determination took root.

Leaving the system as a young adult, she began navigating life on her own with fierce independence and an unshakable drive to rise above her circumstances. At age 17, she began working at a factory doing upholstery and then at a local wholesale store while attending school part-time—marking the beginning of a lifelong pursuit of education, service and self-reliance.

Dawn’s life is defined by compassion in actions. She love the elderly, serving them in all capacity. From volunteering in shelters and being involved in home feeding to organizing church initiatives for the community and arranging gifts given for birthdays and holiday gifts for children. Mentorship programs, donation outreach ministries. She lives to uplift others, often in the very spaces where she once needed support herself.

Strength forged through struggle, purpose revealed through pain.

Grace Beyond Brokenness is a powerful journey from pain to purpose. It’s a testimony that your scars don’t disqualify you—they prepare you. In every shattered place, God’s grace still speaks. You are not broken. You are becoming.