Phyllis Mc Neal, The Dragon Slayer, Straight Talk Program, Inc.

 Phyllis P. McNeal ran away from home a lot. All too often, society brands such a child as juvenile delinquent or an incorrigible runaway. Such could have been the fate of young Phyllis had she been less of a fighter than she proved herself to be. McNeal's home life was violent—in today's terminology, dysfunctional. Having elder siblings did nothing to protect her: they had issues (dragons) of their own. So she ran, repeatedly, trying to escape the abusive environment only to be caught and returned. Gratefully, her cyclic pattern caught the attention of a therapist who earned her trust. Her therapist, Saundra C. Lang, LCSW, taught her about making choices based on their potential outcomes and empowered her with a sense of self-worth that encouraged her to make some bold, far-beyond-her-years decisions. Ms. Lang became her first "guardian angel. "Becoming a ward of the court required going through the system—and that entailed being treated like an offender. Instead of being assigned a social worker, McNeal was placed on probation and spent 49 days locked in juvenile detention while awaiting a court order for the termination of parental rights. Finally, in January 1974, Phyllis was placed in the Jacqueline Girls Home where Director/Owner Maxene L. McGinnis became her excellent role model and a strict disciplinarian. Mrs. McGinnis was her second "guardian angel." Phyllis continues the work she founded while working as a parole agent: Straight Talk Program, Inc. "What motivates us to do what we want to do? What makes us strive for success when the lights are out? What makes us visualize our dreams when we cannot sleep?" For Phyllis P. McNeal, MSW the answer is simply this, "My work is dedicated to my two distinguished guardian angels." Straight Talk Program, Inc. is the way she pays it forward.