As one of eleven children, Jala’s parents struggled to make ends meet. Jala found herself playing the role of Mom to her younger siblings when she was still a child herself. Overwhelmed and suffering from mental illness, Jala’s mother went to the extent of locking up two of her siblings in a closet for two years. Eventually, her older brother escaped and was able to report the situation to the authorities. All of the siblings were then removed and placed in foster care.
“I was 15 years old,” Jala recalled. “I was scared and nervous based on the things I had heard about foster care, but what I found was a caring staff that was going to advocate for me.”
Place of Hope Clinical Director, Gina Fazio, fought to keep Jala with her siblings.
“I was placed with three of my younger siblings,” Jala said. “We were in a safe home that was cozy but had room for me to have my own space. We had family dinners and organized activities together, like family should. We were given chores and responsibilities and did everything together as a family.”
When Jala aged out of foster care, she was able to seamlessly transition to Villages of Hope at our Leighan and David Rinker Campus in Boca Raton. She enrolled at Palm Beach State College and eventually earned her Associate’s Degree. Now she is a senior at Florida Atlantic University and will graduate this summer with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education.
“Because of Place of Hope, I was the first member of my family to graduate high school, and I will be the first to have attended and graduate from college,” Jala said. “My goal is to stay in school and obtain my Master’s Degree in Education so that one day I can achieve my goal to become a principal.”
Jala was recently recognized as our Outstanding Youth of the Year at Hope Bash Boca. In her speech she said, “The reason I know it is important to share my story is because of what Proverbs 31:8 tells us. ‘Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Ensure justice for those being crushed.’ I speak for all of the Malik’s and Shayla’s in the world…my brother and sister who spent two years locked up with no voice.”