By Hannah Evans
Jakara Guston sat in awe as her grandmother Edith Guston gave a speech at a women’s conference at Mount Hood Baptist Church in Clinton, Mississippi, in fall 2014. “Forgive yourself when life knocks you down,” the 66-year-old told those gathered.
Young Jakara, then 7 years old, was wearing a pink floral dress, ruffle socks and black shiny shoes as she sat on the brown pew inside the cream walls of the church, swinging her feet. Her grandmother’s words had her on the edge of her seat. That day, her grandmother made her want to be a better person.
Now 17, Guston has held on to that memory, and both she and her grandmother are still inspired by a poem she and her grandmother enjoyed, “Keep Going” by Edgar Guest. The poem ends: “So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit—it’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.”
Her grandmother’s influence didn’t stop there.
‘The Most Selfless Person I Know’
After growing up watching her grandmother provide a helping hand to others, Jakara Guston is now an aspiring nurse from Clinton, Mississippi. Growing up, Guston watched her grandmother use her job as a secretary for Jackson State’s athletic programs to help people. In that job, Edith Guston would take the football players home and feed and clothe them. “Or if they needed money for food, she would give it to them,” the granddaughter recalls.
Watching her grandma made Guston who she is today. “My grandmother is the most selfless person I know; if you need her, she’s always there for you. She might not know what to do, but she’ll try. She inspires me to do what I can,” Guston says.
A rising senior at Clinton High School, Guston’s journey through Clinton Public School District is coming to an end, leading her to reflect on her time there. “I always felt out of place,” Guston says. Being in a predominantly white space throughout her educational career had its challenges, but that feeling pushed her forward as well.
“Clinton has provided me with a lot of academic opportunities and made me a better person,” she says.
‘Women Who Look Like Me’
Guston hopes to head to Atlanta after high-school graduation. “I want to go to Spelman College and major in nursing with a minor in journalism so I can be a nurse,” she says. “Spelman’s standards stick out to me, and I want to be surrounded by women who look like me and share the same thought process as me.”
Going to Spelman will give her a different experience than what she has had in the Clinton schools, she says. At Spelman, she will be able to make a difference and be inspired by other young Black women.
Guston has always been resilient. “I’m blessed to have a childhood that many children would want, and the ups and downs made me stronger,” she says. “I carry my mom’s and grandma’s strength with me.”
Her strength has helped Guston learn her voice and be a leader in her community. She is involved in many extracurricular activities including Crown Club, a girls-only service organization of the Junior Auxiliary of Clinton, and HOSA, a club for future health professionals. Now, Guston is preparing for a career where she can make a difference: whether she’s studying clinical care, advocating for better patient treatment or simply listening to someone who needs to be heard.
Guston’s path hasn’t been easy, but her passion runs deep. She walks with quiet confidence, with her strength and heart passed down to her through generations.
Click here to read more about Hannah Evans, who wrote this piece about fellow Youth Media Project student journalist Jakara Guston.