Storytime with LOFE: Kiana Chance

LOFE family, meet Kiana. She's involved with the University of North Texas Black Student Union, the presiding organization representing marginalized students of African descent at UNT, and has been since she was a freshman. One thing she enjoys doing in her free time is watching Disney movies. However, though she loves to check out the classics and latest Disney movies, while in high school, she experienced emotional and mental abuse. Kiana believes it's essential to recognize that while doing your best to help people, you must set boundaries regarding who you're willing to help and how. After leaving this relationship, her motto has been not to run herself dry for somebody who won't walk for themselves.

We thank God for the power that lives in Kiana. She realizes that people must first care for themselves before they can understand how to care for her or anyone else. She has a vision of a world that can provide more socioemotional, mental health, & mentorship resources for children, primarily late Elementary to high school age, especially for people of color like herself. She believes many people perceive people of color as adults, and people are likelier to give up on them too early in life. She knows everyone has the capacity for change, especially children, who constantly change and grow rapidly every day. Kiana majors in Human Development and Family Sciences and believes her purpose is to help others become their best selves. She hopes to work in non-profit settings with children and families to help them reach their fullest potential individually and in their relationships with each other.

We're grateful for Kiana's transparency and knowing what she has been through and overcome. Like many others, she has a story and wants to pursue a living that will impact her community. We are excited to see where her journey goes, and we hope that the people she leads will find their way to this writing and reflect on one of her many reasons for helping them.