ASHLEY CUFFEE: The spoken word has never sounded as good on this podcast.

Stephanie speaks with guest Ashley Cuffee before recording this episode of SWYS.

ASHLEY CUFFEE is a spoken word poet who is better known in our Berlin, Maryland community as the poet Ash’iz. From open mic nights to sharing stories through poetry, Ashley is focused on creating a movement. In fact, she is the Executive Director of the non-profit Beauty From Ashiz Movement, which seeks to provide the community with a creative and comfortable platform to accept and share life’s experiences. Previously, Ashley dedicated 12 years to the Early Childhood Education field and also taught conflict resolution and shoplifter’s alternative courses to court and community referred teenagers for three years. During that time, she became a certified mediator for Delaware Judicial System. Throughout her time as an educator, Ashley has partnered to build a conflict resolution curriculum and is currently creating a poetry-based curriculum to be utilized within the P.R.E.Y Project, a program offered by the Beauty From Ashiz Movement to assist youth in gaining self-identity and awareness. Ashley is currently pursuing a BA in psychology as well as an outlet for publishing her poetry.

Ashley Cuffee, the poet known as Ash'iz, performs her spoken word poem, "The Poet Unknown" for Stephanie and Tony just before her podcast. It was phenomenal and inspiring. Listen to it in the reading link above!