Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV)
DALLAS — Say this about Tyneisha Renai Collins: Her labor is not in vain in the Lord.
For starters, despite having weathered arguably the greatest of obstacles in that she grew up being victimized time and again by rejection, Collins steadfastly held fast the profession of her faith without wavering.
Given the immense and immeasurable strides she’s made over the year — particularly since she relocated to the South from her native establishment that is the Bronx, New York — it’s safe to assume that for Collins, the sustained success she’s acquired was well worth the hassle.
“Yes, it was definitely worth the hassle, because it humbled me and made me really appreciate the amazing blessings that I already had prior to this experience, because they were the very things that placed me in this position, Collins told Making Headline News this week.”
The “experience” to which Collins is alluding is her latest achievement, one that is indicative of her resourceful body of work, particularly in the ever-so-competitive authorship industry.
An Osceola, Arkansas-area educator, Collins, 28, was named Author of The Year during last week’s inaugural TAP Awards that was held at her college alma mater, Arkansas State University.
An event that was organized by Jonesboro-area public speaker and award-winning author Terrell Jenkins, the TAP Awards acknowledged individuals in a variety of categories for their hard work and valiant contributions to the community.
Collins was amongst 700 nominees selected for Author Of The Year, in large part because her family, friends, and peers sensed she is worthy of such a notable honor.
After the votes were cast and finally compiled amongst the three candidates for Author of The Year, Collins had ultimately emerged victorious after having amassed the most votes.
Collins’ latest milestone comes approximately eight months after the release of her book, “I AM QUEEN,” a provocative, attention-grabbing story that depicts her array of life’s struggles, most notably those in which she recalled having been constantly shunned and abandoned by her mother as a little girl without any knowledge of the identity of her father.
MORE ON “I AM QUEEN”: http://iamqueen.net
“This award means everything to me, because I went through so much and this is evidence that all my hard work is not in vain,” said Collins, explaining her initial reaction upon being named Author of The Year. “Writing a book about your life is not an easy task.”
As Collins explained, neither was the process that eventually put her in the discussion for seizing such a commendable honor.
“The process began when the founder of the TAP awards announced the categories via social media,” Collins explained. “He asked his Facebook friends to nominate people that were well-deserving in each category. The top people in each category would earn nominee spots. Seven-hundred people were nominated in over 20 categories. Next, all the nominees went on a month-long campaign, convincing our peers, family, and friends to vote for us. Voting lasted about a month and 14,000 votes were placed. It was a very humbling process for me.”
It is, in fact, a process by which Collins didn’t merely take lightly, considering she was up against two crafty and resourceful authors in a campaign that seemed to be a nail-biter until the voting phase had ended.
“I truly believe that the reasons why I won are No. 1, because of my willingness to live for God, my drive, the raw and transparent content of my book, and the way I carry myself on a daily basis,” Collins said.
All things considered, her quest for being named Author of The Year essentially started last year some time when Collins announced “to the world” that she would write a book that depicts her assortment of struggles and obstacles.
Next up, she said: Book No. 2 is expected to be released in early 2019, just in time for her 30th birthday.
“I’ve been soaring ever since,” Collins said. “The fact that I had a dream and actually executed it and then accomplished it, help me earn a lot of respect and admiration from my peers and the people in my community.
“Also, I will continue to make sure Queens have access to my I AM QUEEN products.”
Oh…and she admittedly would be remiss if she didn’t offer this vital suggestion.
“Credibility and character can take you a long way,” Collins said.
Spoken like a true champ.
A RELATED TYNEISHA COLLINS STORY:
EDITOR’S NOTE: If you are an entrepreneur, business owner, producer, author, athlete, musician, barber, life coach, motivational speaker, cosmetologist, tax preparer, model, or pastor/minister who is seeking exposure and would like to share your story with an in-depth news feature, call Reporter Andre Johnson at 901-690-6587 or Facebook message him under “Andre T. Johnson” for details.
Andre Johnson is the Founder and Publisher of Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former reporter of sports for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson is the former chief adjutant to Elder Andrew Jackson, Sr. of Faith Temple Ministries Church of God In Christ. Based in Dallas, Texas, Johnson covers the NBA Southwest Division. To reach Johnson, call him at 901-690-6587 or send email to [email protected] or [email protected]. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.