LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME

                                                  Hi, I'm Stephen  

I started this life in a little house on Fatherland Street in East Nashville Historic Edgefield district. I am the sixth child of seven children by Jesse and Theresa Downs. I attended Holy Name Church, and School and was given my name by Father Jim Zralek and my first-grade teacher was sister Mary Samuel. (lol, I feel tears coming on) Growing up in East Nashville I always had that feeling as a kid that "This is my Town" my birthday coincided with our great State of Tennessee birthday, although I know now that this is "your" town, and I am sincerely dedicated when I am elected, to make my term in office only about you and when I exercise my due diligence I will present that data to you, and then it will be about how you instruct me to vote on those issues that affect you each day.

I was fortunate to have a diverse education being educated in both the private sector and public sector schools, which entailed six years of each. I attended Holy Name, St. Joseph, Warner, Kirkpatrick, Meigs, and East High, this opportunity in diversity gave me a good perspective on each side of education in terms of what education looks like on the private and public sides of the equation, of which I am grateful.

After High School I joined the military, suffered an injury in the line of duty, came home, and married the love of my life Caroline, we had three children, Stephanie (daughter) Stephen (son) and Jesse (son). Caroline is my rock, she has stuck with me through mistakes and bad decisions I have made and the dark times in life that followed. Caroline has always been at my side encouraging me when I was not the man, I was supposed to be and consistently told me that the Lord has got this. I am forever grateful because I learned from my mistakes, and I instilled in my children, values that I was lacking in, and I am so proud, in awe, and humbled by what they have become and accomplished in life so far.

These days I have more years behind me than in front of me and I want to make a difference by giving back that grace of wisdom the Lord has provided through those trials and tribulations. Through my experiences and education, I have been fortunate to obtain "and with your help" share with all Nashvillians while we as one embark on a journey concerning the challenges we face now and into our future. 

My passion for diversity led me to begin my post High School years with the desire to be educated by traditional African American Colleges & Universities starting with American Baptist College where I was educated by the likes of civil rights activist and organizer of the civil rights movement Dr. Bernard Lafayette, Dr. Rhodes, Dr. Easley and others. I gained my core curriculum there and transferred to Tennessee State University and received my B/S in Sociology. 

After that I attended U.T. Knoxville and received my Paralegal, I received my Business Administration education via the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and my Call Center Managment from Northern Virginia. I have 19 semester hours towards a master's in health care management. attending Western Governors University. I did these things because of my desire and hope to make a difference in the lives that will follow me now and after I am gone, and I hope that you will allow me that opportunity to serve you.