Consistency: Kandice

Kandice plans to become a social worker to help kids who have grown up just like she has.

“I didn’t have a childhood, so I want to help other kids feel safe,” she says. “You know how it is when things in the house are unstable. Kids are exposed to stuff they’re not supposed to know about at an early age.”

Since she was 10 years old, Kandice has considered My Sister’s Circle to be her “safe” place. The My Sister’s Circle staff, her mentor and her friends are within her “circle”. They are the ones who have offered her a place to stay when she was put on the street, encouraged her as a sociology and criminal justice major at North Carolina Wesleyan College, and listens when she needs them.

“Kandice is a testimony to the power of perseverance,” says Executive Director Heather Harvison who believes the dependable, unwavering presence of a mentor gives a girl the confidence to keep trying. “There is power, she says, in knowing that you can always, always count on your circle.”

“I never went through a moment when I felt like I didn’t need My Sister’s Circle,” says Kandice. “I still call Katie or Blair or Heather before I call anyone else in my life.”

Their support, says Kandice, gives her confidence about her future. “I know I’m going to be in a good situation,” she says.