Vanessa McNeal is the epitome of strong. She's resilient, down-to-earth, and graceful. What most people don't know about Vanessa, until now, is that she is also a survivor.
A graduate student at the University of Northern Iowa, McNeal produced an independent documentary called, “I Am.” The harrowing documentary tells the story of the familial sexual abuse, sexual assault, neglect, and poverty McNeal endured as a child.
One day, while sharing her story with a friend, she had a realization. McNeal was put on this earth to share her story. "I really chalk it down to I had an epiphany. I sat down one day, and I knew this was my purpose, [and] this is what I am here for. I had this moment and I knew I had a story to tell, and I knew I needed to share it with other people."
In January 2015, McNeal teamed up with PLVTO Pros, ran by Michael Phipp and Quinton Wayne. The documentary began it's filming and was released in July 2015. "They [PLVTO] have the vision that they want to change the world, and so do I, so it worked out really well."
After suffering years of neglect and poverty, McNeal moved in with her grandparents in first grade. "I'm forever indebted to them. They completely renewed their roles as parents. They had just gotten married, ready to retire, and they started over. My grandma quit her job and became a full-time mother, all over again to four young kids. She cultivated who we are and the woman I am today. She's the most amazing woman I know. And my grandpa, he raised us after not having any of his own kids and he's a great man."
The documentary was no easy task for McNeal to complete. Sharing the experiences that she encountered as a child brought back a lot of traumatic memories. Yet, through the struggle, McNeal has come out proving herself to be as resilient and grounded as ever. "You can't appreciate the light until you see the darkness. That was the biggest thing that nurtured and cultivated who I am. When you're in the valley for so long, you appreciate the highs. I've seen the bad and I don't want to be there again."
McNeal graduated with honors from Iowa State University with her bachelor's in Child, Family, and Human Services and earned herself a full tuition to University of Northern Iowa for her masters, in which she is focusing on social work with a concentration in trauma. "When I was good at something and succeeded, it just made me crave that even more."
McNeal wants to speak publicly about her experiences to be a voice for those who can't. "My purpose is to serve others and serve survivors. I just want to raise awareness. I want to be the person in the forefront that shares their story and other peoples' stories. I want to continue to get my story out and become a public speaker."
She also wants to share that reaching out and getting help is OK.
"Healing is life-long. I go to therapy and I'll go to therapy until I feel comfortable with not going anymore. I had to put my pride aside, and say it's okay to be in therapy and still be successful. There's such a stigma to seeing a therapist or getting help, and I want to end that.
"I've had so many people come forward that had been dealing with similar situations that I've been through. Talking to other survivors has been so empowering. I underestimated how much support I would have."
The outpour of support has ignited the flame for McNeal's next big project, which is a new film, an extension of her documentary that will include other survivors from all walks of life sharing their experiences.
"This is just the beginning. This is the beginning of a movement."
McNeal will be debuting her documentary on University of Northern Iowa's campus this Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m. in the Maucker Union CME. After the documentary showing, a Q&A session will take place. This event is open to the public.
Donate to McNeal's speaking tour via GoFundMe.
Watch McNeal's documentary, entitled "I Am."
