This Women's History Month, Start TV is honored to present the true stories of an inspirational group of women who have persevered through tragedy and challenges.
The one-hour special premieres on Saturday, March 11th at 11P | 10C on Start TV.
Meet the three exceptional and motivational women who have never gave up, real women who openly share their stories of loss, struggle, determination, inspiration and, ultimately, perseverance:
Kelly Cervantes (New York, NY):
Occupation: Activist
Kelly Cervantes is an epilepsy advocate and board president of Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE). Kelly and her husband Miguel lost their 3-year-old daughter Adelaide in 2019 after an almost four year battle with infantile spasms, a severe form of childhood epilepsy. With honesty and vulnerability, Kelly opens up about how she dealt with the unimaginable loss of her daughter, the loss of her identity as caregiver; and what it took for her to move forward and what life looks like today for the Cervantes family. Kelly’s book “Normal Broken,” a grief companion for those experiencing deep loss, is due out this year.
Namrata Yadav (Charlotte, NC):
Occupation: SVP, Academy for Community Advancement Executive, Bank of America
Namrata Yadav grew up in India, but now calls America her home after marriage brought her to the United States in 2004. The marriage was short-lived, and Namrata found herself alone in a foreign country. With grit, she cold-called major corporations for jobs in HR, and landed a position at the Charlotte, N.C.-based Bank of America, where she began to forge a new life in America on her own. Today the remarried mother of two heads Bank of America’s company-wide initiatives to upskill and reskill our communities and has been a strong advocate for diversity, inclusion, and cultural acceptance, terms she regards as much more than buzzwords, among its global workforces.
Zeita Merchant (New York, NY):
Occupation: Commander, Sector New York Captain of the Port United States Coast Guard
‘Service before self’ was the motto Zeita grew up with, instilled in her by her parents. She now lives by it. Zeita grew up in a high crime neighborhood in Chicago before her parents relocated to Jackson, MS. It was in college where she discovered the U.S. Coast Guard, and today after more than two decades in the service, she has climbed the ranks, breaking color and gender barriers along the way. She is only the third African American female captain (O-6) in Coast Guard history, and in May of 2021, took over as Commander, Sector New York, one of the nation's busiest ports. She is the first minority and the second woman in Coast Guard history to serve in this role.