ISSUES #22: MAY 2016
BLACK ACHIEVERS
JULY 2015
One thing I like about having this magazine is discovering great stories and being inspired by total strangers. I personally think La Ronda Jones-Gutierrez is superwoman. La Ronda just completed her Masters in Health Administration in May and the road to this great milestone was not easy. La Ronda’s story is a workshop in perseverance, faith and never taking no for an answer.
La Ronda is a lifelong resident of Los Angeles. She grew up in South Central L.A. Her story is nothing short of amazing so I try to stay out of the way and let her speak on her experience…
LR: I come from a large family in a sense. My mom and dad got together after previous marriages. My dad had six daughters from his previous relationship that were mostly or nearly grown when I was born. Actually my brothers and sisters’ KIDS were my age. My mom also had two girls and two boys early on. So even with brothers and sisters in the family I grew up more so on my own. My mom did have my sister, Tamika, before I was born but due to my mom’s drug addiction, Tamika only lived for four months before she died. To her credit, my mom cleaned up her act before I was born.
V. RAY: So what was life like growing up for you?
LR: It was OK I suppose. My mom was very supportive and kept me occupied with school and other activities. I was a drummer in band, involved in the drama department, modern dance, the drill team, piano lessons, you name it. We were very active in church and in the community choirs. Academically, I was an average student in school and I did WANT to go to college but I didn’t really CRAVE college. At a point, Ericka, my niece, came to live with our family. We were close in age so she was more or less like a sister. Unfortunately, also during that time, something happened in my mom’s life and she eventually went back to drugs. All the extra-curricular activities became refuge for me to stay away from home. I was open to anything that kept me out of the house.
V. RAY: So this effected your schooling? Did you graduate on time?
LR: Well there were a few things at play when it comes to graduation but, yes, I graduated on time, class of 1998. I got pregnant in the 11th grade. Everyone encouraged me to have an abortion so I wouldn’t have to drop out of school. I had no intention of leaving school and finishing high school became the new priority for me. My son became my purpose and driving force. I stayed in school and I went to my classes. I walked 4-5 miles every day to and from school and finished on time and graduated with my class. There were a lot of pregnant teen moms on campus but there was no real support that said “you can do it” versus everyone saying that you shouldn’t have your baby.
V. RAY: That’s actually pretty impressive for a teenager. What was next for you?
LR: After high school I began working, taking care of and raising my son. I worked odd jobs where I could get them like retail and such. I got on welfare and sought out low-income housing. My situation was definitely not financially secure so it was really a struggle. By then my mom was completely gone on crack and I really didn’t want to be around or go to the house that we grew up in.
La Ronda and Anthony: Now approaching their 15-year wedding anniversary
I met my husband Anthony and we fell for each other. We eventually moved in together and our daughter came along. Things were going well but all along I had a gnawing feeling that I wanted to do more. I was working but I knew there had to be more out there for me. I talked with Ant about how I was feeling and how I didn’t want to be the typical baby mama. My aunt, who worked in the health care industry, encouraged me to go to college and pursue a CNA certification to become a Certified Nursing Assistant. I started the CNA program at Maxine Waters Adult College. Needless to say I had a full plate with two young kids but we were making it work. We got married around this time. I was 23 years old. J
About three months into my marriage my sister was sent to prison and her two youngest boys needed to stay with family. Their dad had drug issues and the boys’ older brothers weren’t stable options. With two young children of our own, Anthony and I clearly weren’t in a position to take on two more kids but Anthony really pushed for us to step up and we did. We blended our 2 year old daughter and 6 year old son with their cousins aged 9 and 12. Mind you, I was 23 and Ant was 22 with four kids living in our apartment we’d nicknamed ‘the matchbox’ BEFORE the boys came to live with us.
We really had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. There was no financial assistance for them since they weren’t wards of the court or adopted. It was quite the struggle as parents of four kids with no support. We lived in the matchbox for another 6 months before we moved to San Fernando Valley from South Central. We knew the environment would be a lot better for family; safer, decent schools, etc.
V. RAY: So with everything going on, were you even able to complete school at the time?
LR: Yes, I had to hang in there and make it happen. Once I set the goal for myself there was no turning back. I graduated and started working at an assisted living facility. It was a start but the work and responsibility to the patients, the firm, and the families was too much. I’ve always had more of a leader and go-getter mentality and I wanted to push myself to the next level. My best friend Kiiyonna encouraged me to go back to school to seek my degree and RN license. I hadn’t really considered a degree in health care to this point. I’d only focused on trade schools and vocational options.
I found a school that offered child care on campus and started back in school. I had my sights set on my Associates degree in nursing. I had to balance raising kids on limited income and food stamps. There were times where there was no money and no food. Oddly, in my family, I am the stable one. When people in my family need something they call me. So when we were down and struggling we didn’t have a resource to call. But I did it. I got my Associates degree from L.A. Pierce College in 2007. A major accomplishment.
There were very few people in my family that actually walked the stage to graduate high school. I was the first in my family to go to college. Took four years but I made it. There was a lot to overcome. I was very sick during this time. I learned that my mom passed on Hepatitis C to me as a result of her IV drug use. I had no idea but I started getting sick after moving to the Valley. At that time there was less information about Hep C but a GI specialist finally diagnosed me correctly and I learned that the issue was so far gone and my liver was so damaged that there were few options available to address my illness. The doctors wanted to enroll me in trial medicine and procedures to address my condition. I was taking 14 pills per day as well as injections in the legs. The side effects are cancer-like and I lost half my body weight, my hair, and my legs were bruised and damaged to the point where I walked on a cane. I STILL attended school at Pierce so when I graduated there were several obstacles that were overcome. My mom even attended my graduation.
V. RAY: So that was a major milestone for you. But not your last.
LR: Well after graduation my mom’s health started to deteriorate. She had two strokes and I took on full care for her including doctor’s appointments, administering meds and commuting to L.A. from the Valley to do it. I applied to Mount St. Mary’s College and attended there for a while. It really wasn’t a fit for me theoretically. I mean, university life was a bit different and Mount St. Mary’s was an all-girl school and it took some adjustment for me.
The happy graduate of Pierce College, 2007
I had more health issues during this time as I learned I had hyperthyroidism. I went through a series of radioactive iodine treatments to treat the condition and to reduce the size of a goiter that had formed on my neck. This treatment took place over a period of seven days and had to be performed in isolation. My family had to vacate the house because of the risk of exposure to radiation. It was a trying time as the process took over two to three years and required a number of treatments. Each time I had to be in isolation at home and I had to get rid of any clothes, bed linens and utensils I came in contact with.
In this same period I lost my mom, in 2009, and I was just emotionally overwhelmed. I had just talked to her a day or two before and I was really glad I to tell her that I loved her. We had come full circle in our relationship and were in a good place. I ended up leaving Mount St. Mary’s to address everything that was collapsing in my life at the same time. We worked through burying my mom. My sister eventually got her sons back that we had taken in. It had been seven years.
2012 - La Ronda graduates with her Bachelor's degree from California State University-Northridge
V. RAY: So your next step was entering the Master’s program?
LR: I enrolled in Cal State University Northridge (CSUN) and changed my major from nursing to Health Care Administration. I envisioned myself just going to school, being a regular student and going home. I realized I wasn’t’ taking advantage of the resources that the school offered. I met my mentor at CSUN, Dr. Frankline Augustin. I found her relatable as a woman of God, and a Black woman and she encouraged me to not just go to class but to get involved in campus organizations.
I started a group on campus relating to infant mortality with Black moms. I could relate to the platform because of mom’s loss of Tamika and my having been a teen mom. Our group traveled to D.C and Chicago training students and doing presentations on Preconception Health. In 2012 I earned my Bachelor’s degree and honorable mention as an outstanding senior. Dr. Augustin encouraged me to not stop and apply directly into the Master’s program.
I just earned my Masters degree and graduated in May of this year!!!
V. RAY: What do you see for yourself for the future?
LR: I want to form an organization that specializes in engaging young black women and sharing the message “You can do it!” I was fortunate enough to learn these things on my own in spite of the fact that I didn’t see people that look like me doing these things. Saying these things to me. As a child, you don’t just KNOW that it’s attainable. I really want to show young black women how to get to this point. These are conversations my family has in our house every day. I know the importance of education and the circumstances of the lack of it.
Anthony, La Ronda D'Ajah and Dwayne
Grace at work.
CSUN Master's degree graduation with family and CSUN mentor Dr. Frankline Augustin.
There’s more in this world than your immediate environment. My son, being a black male, was looking like another statistic. He didn’t find the drive within to go to college. He had the opportunity to go on the black college tour. He was able to see that what you see on TV and on the streets is not your reality. He got really excited about school. At this point, he’s been accepted at 7 HBCU schools and starts at Clark Atlanta University in the fall. He’s the first boy in our family to graduate high school. He will be the first boy in the family to attend college. We are very proud of Dwayne!! Our daughter D’Ajah is 13 and heading off to high school. I love having this information for college prep that we’ve gathered while prepping Dwayne. This information can be shared.
My new focus is the project to not only give back to my community but do something to help young Black girls like D’Ajah. To educate them on the opportunities that are out there. To let them know that they are special and beautiful. I’ve created a Facebook group and reached out to other strong women from the community to participate. I’m currently planning to have a summit for young black girls 10 and up. In it we will talk to them about who they are; encourage and empower them. We will have conversations with them that they may not have in their household. The organization and event are not titled as of yet but the focus is for empowerment of our youth. Especially young black women.
La Ronda L. Jones-Gutierrez MSHA, C.L.E.C.
Now how’s that for perserverance?!?!
It really feels good to feel proud of people I've never met before. We should all be inspired by La Ronda's story. She is truly...
V. Ray
#positiveblack
#RiseShineRepeat
