User:Janinesantiago

Janine Santiago was born on March 16, 1976 in Brooklyn, NY to Luis Santiago and Lydia Calo. After a year old, her parents separated. Santiago was raised by a man who loved her as his own. However, Santiago was 11 years old before she found out that the man she had known all of her life was not her biological father. Although she lived in a two parent home, Santiago was primarily raised by her grandmother. While her grandmother struggled with alcohol abuse, it was she who taught Santiago how to be independent, learning at an early age, how to perform many independent living duties, such as cooking and cleaning, ironing, thinking for herself, and helping others in need. It was these valuable lessons that inspired Santiago to volunteer her time, often at local libraries, missionaries and community events. Santiago started working at the age of 15, in summer camps and babysitting services. It was because of her love to help people that she decided to pursue a Nursing degree in college, graduating, in 1994, from Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School in Orangeburg, SC, with a Certified Nursing Assistant certification.

With a 4.3 GPA and class rank of 7, Santiago went on to matriculate at the University of South Carolina, in Columbia, SC. It was there, she realized she wasn’t ready for college and wanted to explore the option of traveling and seeing more than the restricted childhood she had grown up in. Because of that lack of motivation and exposure, Santiago struggled for three years, getting her first C, D, and F, as well as, changing her major to Math Education, in an effort to change the concept of how math was taught. Finally, during her senior year, she left college to follow her later children’s father, across the east coast to the west coast, in South Carolina, Georgia, California, Florida, and Las Vegas, working jobs from a laborer to TSA officer at LAX in Los Angeles, CA. In between these experiences, Santiago returned to South Carolina, in an effort to return to school, worked as a dispatcher for the Orangeburg County Sherriff’s Department, in 1998, and as a school secretary for Orangeburg County School District Five and then leaving again. After succumbing to a 7 year long domestically violent relationship tolerating physical and emotional abuse, by someone who suffered substance abuse, Santiago left the west coast to raise her three children by herself, moving back in with her parents. It was then she realized that life should have more choices and children should not have to suffer for the decisions that adults around them make. Santiago wanted more for children to be other than the infamous “at risk” category given to set up children for failure, rather than success, so she decided to return to college, completing an unfinished dream, and provide a better life and opportunity for her children and other children, as well.

With a stronger mindset and determination to learn from her mistakes, Santiago completed her undergraduate studies at Claflin University in 2005, while working as a custodian there and raising her three children. She graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Mathematics Education with a 3.9 GPA Summa cum Laude. Santiago taught 7th grade Mathematics at Robert E. Howard Middle School, in Orangeburg, SC. In 2006, she relocated to Baltimore, MD, where she taught Geometry, Algebra 1 and 2 at Kenwood High School in Essex. Deciding to pursue her interest in Special Education, Santiago completed her Masters of Arts Degree in Education with an Emphasis in Special Needs, at Kaplan University, in 2008, again graduating Summa cum Laude, with a 3.9 GPA. Santiago then moved on the Villa Maria School in Timonium, MD, as a Psychoeducator, where she taught until 2008. Given the desire to work in the city, Santiago had the opportunity to serve as a Special Educator and Instructional Support Teacher at Baltimore Freedom Academy. In 2009, Santiago served as acting Special Education Coordinator, and later permanently so, as well as the School Testing Coordinator, at The SEED School of Maryland. It was there she created a Special Education program that directly aided SEED in coming out of a Corrective Action Plan that had been imposed on that department the year before. She also served on the many committees, including the planning and implementation of school policies regarding homework, discipline, instruction, and coursework until January 2011. During this time, Santiago has faced many challenges raising her own children and dealing with anger management and oppositional behaviors that were largely contributed by her own behaviors. With that said, Santiago has taken in other children into her home, helping them and their mothers through trials and tribulations she could empathize with. While working at The SEED School of Maryland, Santiago had the opportunity to serve children in their homes, as an Instructor through Home & Hospital Center of Baltimore County Public Schools. All of these experiences combined, helped enable Santiago to become such an active participant in the improvement of community in Baltimore.

Santiago is currently the Founder of the Live Life! Movement that is beginning in Baltimore, MD, during the summer of 2011. Santiago decided to start this movement after realizing that complaining about what was happening around her and not doing anything to change it only added to the problem, rather than offering a solution. She represents a determined mission in not only her neighborhood but also the surrounding Baltimore city and county communities that will stop community members from hurting each other or themselves, promoting the living and enjoying of life around them. Santiago is also affiliated with an organization called Populus Pacis (People of Peace in Latin). Populus Pacis is an organized group of educators, business, and professional and community leaders that are going to provide services beneficial to everyone everywhere.