Sgt. Tamisha Ivory
Officer overcomes adversity
For eight years, Sgt. Tamisha Ivory, Fire and Safety, Sanitation at Ouachita River Correctional Unit in Malvern has been a strong and inspiring asset in the department of corrections.
In this profession of work, Ivory feels honored to have such an important role in the line of duty. She knows fulfilling work responsibilities is demanding and it is important to present a strong mentality in the workplace. She has been a strong woman in the workplace. Throughout her career, she has faced challenging tasks and obstacles, but no matter what situations occurred, Ivory has always overcome adversity in a productive way.
"Being a woman has been my biggest challenge. Handling the day-to-day work inside of the prison as a woman because I have a very strong personality. The work is not hard, but you must be consistent and dedicated to the work. It is simple, just take the initiative and do it.," Ivory said.
Because of her interest in criminal justice, she knew this profession would be something to pursue in the correctional unit.
Ivory mentioned, "I have always been interested in Criminal Justice shows, such as First 48, Law and Order— so when I decided that I did not want to be a lawyer anymore, I said I wanted to work for either FBI or DEA."
"Corrections is its own world on the inside. When I started eight years ago, I was one hundred and thirty-five pounds and was told that I would not be able to do it. So being told that I could not do it made me want to be the best and do all I can to help the individuals," Ivory added.
Ivory grew up in Forrest City. She attended Forrest City High School and is a 2009 graduate as a proud alumni of the Mustangs.
She is a current full-time student at Arkansas State University Three Rivers and plans to graduate Fall of 2021 or Spring 2022 with an associate degree in Criminal Justice.
Ivory said she plans to obtain a bachelor’s degree in psychology and get more into the mental health of corrections.
She has other goals for the future such as purchasing her own house, starting a family, but focusing on her career and completing school is the first priority at this point.
"I plan to buy me a house and start a family of course, but right now I am focused on my career and school," she said.
She added, "I plan to start my own mental health service and I want to make a YouTube video with my best friend Amber."
Recently, Ivory was named Officer of the Year in Hot Spring County. She has achieved and accomplished many things in life, but Ivory's motivation and
inspiration has come from her grandmother. She admires her grandmother very much. Ivory feels her grandmother has impacted her drive to be a productive women in life. "I look up to my grandmother. She was the biggest positive influence on my life until her passing on June 15, 2019. She was always there to motivate me to do the right thing," Ivory said. She added, her grandmother taught her to treat people kindly, no matter how bad of a day it has been. "I enjoy that I get to do whatever it is I like to do and freely without any regrets or regards to how anyone feels," she said. Ivory has presented herself with a beautiful personality and it has reflected on people in a positive way. She added, "I love that I exist. I always make individuals feel better about themselves. I enjoy that I get to enjoy life and it’s the small things that count." Ivory loves a lot of things about life. "I love to shop; I love to work. I love brunch with girls. I love to thrift. I love to dance and laugh and I love tic toc," she said. Ivory mentioned she loves the beach and to travel and to be pampered and decorate. "I love to sing in the car and shower, but I do not know how to sing," she implied. Ivory doesn't like the spotlight or center of attention at times, but she is very thankful to be able to share things about her life. As a strong and productive career working woman, Ivory is honored to have this opportunity to express what inspires her to go the extra mile for success.
She feels being chosen to be profiled as a hard working woman in the workplace is an amazing honor and reward that will always be something special to cherish in her life.
"I really do hate the spotlight and I am very shy, so it felt good to be selected out of all the individuals in the county. I smile hard just looking at the reward. I mean anyone could have been chosen for this award, but it was me and I'm forever grateful for this. It is something I will never forget," she said.