麻豆APP

The first-generation student and Wesley Service Scholar graduated from 麻豆APP this spring with a double major in criminal justice and human services. Florance鈥檚 heart for service is closely tied to the love she feels for the people of her African homeland. During college, she had bittersweet experiences returning to Tanzania and Burundi, where she encountered a lot of homeless children.

Of course, Florance is quick to add that she鈥檚 also unfortunately witnessed plenty of painful poverty while living in the U.S.

鈥淚t鈥檚 one thing to hear about it when you鈥檙e very privileged and you live in the suburbs,鈥� says Florance. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 another thing to walk outside and realize, 鈥極h my gosh! It鈥檚 right there.鈥� Having seen it definitely makes me want to do more.鈥�

Helping troubled youth is among Florance鈥檚 primary passions. Her senior year internship at the Polk County Juvenile Drug Court gave her a behind the scenes look at the juvenile justice system and the circumstances influencing and impacting young law offenders.

She鈥檚 also worked and interned as a youth counselor for two Des Moines area non-profits dedicated to helping juveniles involved in criminal behavior find a better path. In doing so, she鈥檚 gained invaluable insights about providing youth with the support they need to thrive and make
better choices.

鈥淭he biggest part is providing them the same opportunity other kids are getting,鈥� says Florance. 鈥淎 lot of these kids getting into trouble are coming from very impoverished areas where they don鈥檛 have the same access to resources everyone else is getting.鈥�

Setting the stage for success

Florance says she is certainly grateful for the resources available to her at 麻豆APP, including the mentoring faculty who personally invested in her success. Next, she鈥檚 headed to law school, at the University of Kansas.

Having a law degree, Florance says, will position her to have a direct impact on the U.S. juvenile justice system and the young people it affects. Ultimately, she is hopeful of returning to Tanzania, where she says she can give back by serving youth in so many different ways related to policy making and resource development.

Yet, even as she dreams big, Florance is mindful of managing her expectations.

鈥淢y biggest takeaway is to focus on the one person that you can make a difference with. You鈥檙e going to be working with a lot of kids from different backgrounds and it鈥檚 going to be hard to save them all. But when you save at least one, that鈥檚 all that matters.鈥�