Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Jillian developed a passion for equity early on. As a former teacher and principal, her passion began with ensuring every child had access to a high-quality education. During her tenure, she secured more than half a million dollars to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline by creating a pathway to college for all – and is currently working as an education consultant. As a Black, female, cisgender servant leader, her passion lies in creating equitable access for marginalized communities. She has raised and donated $5,000 for mental health services, created the DREAM Program at the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, and raised $20,000 to build beds for kids in need as the first Chapter President of Color for Sleep in Heavenly Peace. More than half of the 20 million teens in the U.S. report that it would be difficult to give up social media and nearly 1 in 3 seriously considered attempting suicide in 2021. Our youth need more productive ways to engage within society. With the support of The Change Collective, Jillian hopes to build a plan to open up her first InnerG Academy – a 24-hour leadership academy for young people.
