Sharon Burns
Born to a family stitched together by grit, faith, and persistence, Sharon Burns has always known that survival itself can be a form of rebellion. The only daughter in a working-class household, she grew up watching her family hustle to make ends meet while carrying forward values of resilience and service. That upbringing sharpened her instincts for justice and gave her a lifelong commitment to amplifying voices too often ignored.
Known then as Sharon Mousel, she pursued Criminal Justice with the hope of transforming her outrage into action, earning both an Associate’s and a Bachelor’s degree. But upon graduating, she found herself at a crossroads: the traditional criminal justice jobs did not align with her heart or her vision of justice. She floundered for a time, exploring freelance work, photography, coffee, and writing — chasing sparks of purpose while carrying the quiet weight of uncertainty.
It was in December 2020 that she married and became Sharon Burns, stepping into a new chapter of her life with renewed clarity. With the mind of an analyst and the heart of a mother, Sharon began weaving together her skills and passions — turning her lived experiences into stories and her struggles into solidarity. That path eventually led her to People’s Press, where she now serves as a board member and writer, blending sharp critique with an unwavering belief in the possibility of change.
Her journalism and essays focus on lifting up stories from the margins, pushing back against narratives that keep people small, and spotlighting the strength of mothers, workers, and dreamers in the Valley and beyond. Sharon’s greatest pride is in building spaces where the next generation can inherit more than struggle — they can inherit possibility. Supported by her husband and child, she strives to embody the spirit of People’s Press: rebellious, rooted, and relentlessly hopeful.
