A Paralegal's Journey - A Personal Portrait

Chamein Canton was born to Mary Ellen and Leonard F. Canton Jr. She was joined by a younger sister Natalie. Chamein attended the Copiague Schools and graduated from Copiague High School in 1984.

Chamein’s brief marriage in 1986 produced twin sons Sean Elliot and Scott Edward Snowden born May 18, 1987. After her divorce in 1988 she worked in the banking industry until she was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 1989.
As a patient and single mother, Chamein had the support of her family during that stressful time. She began attending college at night and received her Associate’s Degree in Paralegal Studies in 1992. With her cancer in remission she began working for a title insurance company/law firm in Garden City, New York. In 1993 Chamein enrolled SUNY Old Westbury’s business program to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. However her condition worsened in 1994 and she transferred to Empire State College Center for Distance Learning to get her degree online.

After a six year battle Chamein had a hysterectomy in 1995. She went back to work and continued her education even once she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1996. She also began a successful wedding consulting business and specialized in full figured brides. In 1998 Chamein suffered a physical setback when a major episode landed her in a wheelchair for several months. With 11 year old twin sons to support at the time she through herself into physical therapy and got back to a first love of hers, writing. She wrote three books during this time period most notably Down That Aisle In Style A Wedding Guide For Full Figured Women (WindRiver Publishing) , the first of its kind.

In 2002 Chamein received two honors, she finished her degree in Business Management and Marketing and she was given The MS Mother of The Year Award for 2002 as a result of her twins essay about their inspiring mother. In 2005 her twins graduated from Copiague High School and in the fall they attended SUNY Geneseo in Geneseo.

Chamein Canton's sites: http://www.chamein.com/index.php http://www.cantonsmithagency.com/