Meet Naketa Ross of ResilientMe in Chandler

Today we’d like to introduce you to Naketa Ross.

Naketa Ross is the epitome of resilience. She founded a researched-based, trauma-informed program to assist young adults in preparing to successfully age out of foster care. Naketa moved to Arizona after studying Psychology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Upon moving to Arizona Naketa began working with marginalized youth as a social worker supporting them in making healthy decisions. It is during her work with the youth that Naketa realized the gap in services provided for youth leaving foster care ages 15-21. This inspired her to start a non-profit to fill the void left my legislators and organizations. Naketa is currently a governing board member for Phoenix Union high school district.

It is her passion and purpose to make a difference in the lives of youth who are at risk of not living up to their full potential. Having grown up in foster care, she understands what it is like to not have the resources needed to be a successful adult. Naketa knows first hand what it means to have experienced the trauma of homelessness, poverty, abuse and neglect. It her life experiences that drive Naketa to be the change she did not see.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Getting to this point in my life has not been easy. There have been several obstacles that I have overcome. Looking back, I realize that the largest obstacle I faced was me. Due to my adverse childhood experiences, I struggled with not loving my self enough, not believing in myself and not understanding that I was worthy of great things. There are times in my present life that I have to give myself pep talks before a big presentation or before I start a new article for the Arizona Republic. I remind myself that I have the knowledge base and am qualified for what I am working on.

It can difficult to be the first or only in your family or small group because there is no guideline of point of reference. As a result, I had to figure out a lot of things as I did them. I am reminded of an expression. building the plane as you fly it.

Another difficulty I faced was that of being a single parent. I had to constantly juggle the responsibilities of being the only caregiver and provider for children with needing to attend meetings and functions to increase my network in order to grow my nonprofit.

Despite the challenges I faced, I have made huge strides and progress towards my dreams and I know I will continue to do so.

We’d love to hear more about your organization.
At ResilientMe, we properly prepare youth to successfully transition out of foster care and into adulthood. ResilientMe is a research-based, trauma-informed program. We provide fun, interactive and engaging workshops to assist individuals in increasing their resiliency, which enables them to have a more productive, healthy life. Our Certified Trauma Trained Specialists facilitate each workshop. We serve youth (ages 15 – 21 who have experienced foster care) in the following areas:
• Appropriate goal setting
• Critical thinking skills
• Building a healthy support system
• Identifying and participating in healthy relationships
• Housing
• Self-esteem
• transportation
• Resilience
• Appropriate and effective communication
To date, there is no other organization in Arizona that provides services to the same population that utilizes data collection and research as a foundation.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
This is a difficult question. I would say, my proudest moment is being able to make it past the “5-year mark” for my non-profit. During my start-up days, I often heard that a large number of new businesses fail within the first five years. While it is not particularly difficult to start a non-profit, it took my diligence, passion and resilience to ensure that we were there to serve our youth throughout the years. There were lots of sleepless nights as I built my plane while flying it but with the support of my community, we are still providing an invaluable service to one of our most vulnerable populations.

Contact Info:

• Address: 2875 W Ray Rd
• Website: https://www.resilientme.org/donate–volunteer.html
• Phone: 602.730.0999
• Email: info@resilientme.org
• Instagram: instagram.com/resilientme
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resilientmecorp/
• Twitter: twitter.com/resilientme

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