An unmarried question, brought in-character with love and admiration, can flow a person in an entirely new direction. It took place for tajanee, who in 2007 after one in every of her dance battles grew to become violent, self-identified as an “indignant man or woman and a fighter.”
Tajanee Simmons The Savage Women shared, “multiple friends and that I we called ourselves the savage women we were beating the snot out of this institution of ladies. Olis came up to us and she simply asked, ‘why?’”
It didn’t show up proper away, however after tajanee and her friends each found a mentor at yu, allowedallowed to enter into behavioral contracts and received assistance with school components, they moved out of the streets and into yu.
She remembers, “I spent maximum of my time in both the pc lab or within the dance room. We were in beyond just dancing our hearts out.”
Tajanee’s face lights up remembering the next part of the story, “we were given employed! We were in a position to shop for our very own summer season garments I used to be growing up. I truly commenced reflecting on what I was doing.”
dyes hunt, tajanee’s mentor at yu, helped tajanee hold “what she turned into doing” at the vanguard of her mind. Diese guided her via the university utility process and showed her what it supposed to by no means surrender. When tajanee missed her college placement check, she was geared up to throw all of it away.
You had different plans, “dyes drove me all the manner to l.A. Simply to take the check. I’m like if she is going to head this tough for me, I have to move this difficult [for myself]. And now I look returned, 3 faculties later, and I have a diploma. I stored my word.”
Closing month, tajanee finished her master’s in criminal justice from Grambling nation college in Louisiana. Now that she has graduated, she would love to come back back to Oakland and be positive have an effect on youngsters and kids who are going through similar struggles.
At the concept of her accomplishments tajanee shares, “I am crushed with joy and that I sense very effective. The sensation of being a taking walks example of the possibilities for those with comparable backgrounds as me is like a dream.