ABOUT KYRIECE

Kyriece Brooks’s life is a testament to faith, perseverance, and the power of service. Kyriece grew up in Lorain, facing tremendous adversity. As a child in the foster care system, he survived abuse and trauma that left him nonverbal until age seven. He knows what it’s like to feel voiceless and unseen. Yet through these trials, Kyriece found strength in faith and an enduring belief that every person’s voice matters.

In his teen years, Kyriece battled depression and even experienced homelessness after aging out of foster care. At one point, despair led to a suicide attempt that left him in a coma for two weeks – an ordeal few thought he would overcome. But Kyriece did beat the odds, awakening with a renewed sense of purpose. Not long after, he was struck by another tragedy: the murder of a beloved cousin. Rather than letting grief consume him, Kyriece channeled his pain into action. In 2013, at just 19 years old, he founded the nonprofit Lorain Stop the Violence, determined to turn personal tragedy into community healing. “I started the nonprofit because no one could take it away,” he has said, explaining how building this positive movement helped him transform hurt into hope.

By 21, Kyriece took on another profound commitment: he adopted his son out of foster care, giving a child the stable, loving home he himself never had. That same year, he answered a spiritual calling and became an ordained minister. As a young pastor, Kyriece began spreading a message of faith, forgiveness, and second chances – values that had guided his own journey from hardship to healing. He married his wife, Tanisha, soon after, and today they are raising their children in Lorain, instilling in them the same principles of love, resilience, and service to others.

Professionally, Kyriece has dedicated his career to lifting up youth and the vulnerable. He serves as the School Culture Coordinator at Summit Academy, a school for students with special needs. In this role, he mentors middle and high school students, teaching them to believe in themselves and build a positive school community. He often shares pieces of his personal story with students, showing them that “your past doesn’t define your future” – a lesson he learned. Under Kyriece’s guidance, tears have turned into hope in Summit Academy classrooms, as students find confidence and realize their voices matter just as Kyriece once struggled to discover his. His coworkers say it’s no surprise that Kyriece is so effective in this role – he radiates empathy and strength born from experience.

Kyriece’s commitment to service extends well beyond his day job. He has volunteered as a Guardian ad Litem (Court-Appointed Special Advocate) for children in foster care, standing up for kids in court just as he wished someone had for him. He’s worked with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) as a youth peer support coordinator, serving on local boards and councils addressing housing and education. He even led his apartment resident council to amplify tenants’ voices. In recognition of his impact, Kyriece received the “On the Move” Award from the City of Lorain and commendations from the Ohio Senate and Secretary of State for inspiring and empowering young people. Every aspect of his life’s work has been about healing the community, whether by curbing violence, guiding youth, or simply listening to those in need.

Today, Kyriece Brooks is running to serve as Lorain’s Municipal Clerk of Court, and he brings his remarkable personal journey and values to this campaign. He is the current Chair of the Lorain-Sheffield Area GOP, where he works to engage and inform local citizens in the political process. In 2023, he stepped up to run for Lorain City Council At-Large, driven by the belief that everyday people deserve responsive leadership. Now, as a Clerk of Court candidate, Kyriece’s mission is to make the justice system more accessible, efficient, and compassionate for everyone in the community. His life story – from a voiceless foster kid to a community leader and father – embodies the values of faith, perseverance, service, and community healing. Kyriece often says that he is “not defined by what happened to me, but by what I choose to become”. He has become a beacon of hope in Lorain, and he’s ready to bring that hope into the Clerk of Court’s office to ensure that every resident is seen, heard, and treated with dignity.