She found Children’s Aid and Family Services’ Mobility Mentoring program on her own. The program pairs young adults, who have aged out of foster care, with a mentor who helps them set and achieve educational, career, and financial goals.

“Jamani is an excellent advocate for herself and very self-motivated,” says Annette Flores, Children’s Aid and Family Services Mobility Mentor. “She’s taken advantage of every resource she could find. As a result, she is thriving.”

Through the program, Jamani learned about credit, budgeting, opening a savings account, and setting and meeting goals. When she rented her first apartment this past summer, Mobility Mentoring provided her with the first month’s rent while she waited for her first paycheck. “The program gives me a support system,” she says. “I’ve known Annette for five years. We have a good relationship, and I can ask her for advice and share my achievements with her. Our conversations mean a lot to me.”

While receiving tuition assistance from Mobility Mentoring, Jamani earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and secondary education from Caldwell University, becoming the first in her family to graduate from college. She initially planned to work in a lab, but
a professor encouraged her to consider teaching.

“I like working with kids,” she says. “I feel like I have a lot to offer them: not only content knowledge, but empathy and life lessons.”

Jamani began her teaching journey as a substitute for a sixth-grade science teacher on maternity leave, and was soon recruited to teach high school chemistry. She connects with her students through music, games, and a quick sense of humor.

Now living independently in her own apartment with her cat, Scout, Jamani continues to set goals for herself, including earning tenure as a teacher within the next few years.

“I’ve learned that it’s important to ask for help,” Jamani says. “This program is so essential because a lot of people who age out of foster care don’t have a support system. Mobility Mentoring gives you that, in all aspects.”