ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. — Social injustice, integrity, and service to others are the values Juanita Banks-Whittington lives by and works to instill in youth of all ages.
"At my core, I've always been a helper. I've always been in a position that I've wanted to help others that may not have had the opportunity or even the resources to do certain things," Banks-Whittington said.
At the age of 19, this southern girl moved up to Maryland.
"I was going to college in Miami, and I was like, I don't want to have all this student loan debt, so I called my cousin in Baltimore and said, 'Hey, can I come up here?"
Being here only three months, she joined the Maryland Army National Guard.
It was a starting point that broadened her horizons.
"I was able to assist with any of the natural disasters on the back end. I was also able to deal with administrative actions for all of the soldiers within Maryland. I was also a training NCO on Fort Meade at the 32nd CST Weapons of Mass Destruction Unit," Banks-Whittington said.
After serving 11 years and getting her master's in social work, she started her journey in civil rights and equal employment. She knew there was more to be done.
"I met people in the military that helped guide me and show me [there] are other things that you can do, and then once I started doing social work, I put two and two together, and I'm like wow, this all makes sense," said Banks-Whittington
Taking the values and morals she learned in the military and combined with her upbringing, she incorporated them into two nonprofits that help people across Maryland.
The first one is named after her grandmother, who raised her, which is called Nehi Cares.
"I have mentorship for young girls and boys who may be in high school, and I also do training. So my training involves diversity and inclusion, wellness, belonging, all the things that make a person who they are," Banks-Whittington said.
Pairing with her sister, the second nonprofit created was called Charlene's Circle of Support, named after their mother because of the struggles she went through.
The goal is to assist vulnerable children in Maryland with care packages, mentorship, and mental health advocacy.
"The I Matter Journal is one of my first initiatives to put into those care packages just to show those young girls and boys because the age range is from 6th grade to 12th grade. So, I just want them to know that they matter, and just because you are going through a difficult situation with your parents, someone else is out here, and they care about you," said Banks-Whittington.
Something she also portrays in her latest achievement, Focused On Your Children.
"I'm a children's book author," Banks-Whittington said. "Who would've thought I would be a children's book author."
A story that involves her own family, the book highlights positive relationships and bridges diversity gaps called 'I Love My Daddy.'
"A lot of times, fathers aren't really there. They're not always shown in a positive light, so when I wrote this book, I wanted to make sure that I show fathers that may not be shown or highlighted as often as they should. I wanted to make sure that this book showed that," said Banks-Whittington.
Going from serving the country to serving people. A woman of many skills, she stays committed to empowering individuals to achieve their full potential regardless of their characteristics.