At 16 years old, Janiia’s single mother completed her application for the Parks Foundation internship program with many dreams for her daughter. Qualifying for the program, Janiia was assigned to work at the office of the District 8 Commissioner, who is now the Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.  It was difficult balancing the responsibilities of caring for her younger sisters and assisting her mom with their small business, interning, and school, but Janiia never gave up.

The internship program taught her many things including instilling leadership qualities, resiliency,  and many job skills.  Through the internship program, she was able to experience a life changing mentorship leading to the Miami Dade Honors College program and on the path to law school to become a defense attorney.

Her time with the Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade internship program taught her that every member of a team is invaluable and working together makes the team unstoppable. Coming full circle, Janiia now works as an art instructor in the same internship program she was enrolled in many years ago. She now instructs the interns enrolled, guiding, encouraging, and impacting students in the same program she once attended.