Zianna has always been the one who holds her family together. She is the mediator, the one who listens before she speaks and who wears her heart on her sleeve. Her empathy runs deep, and so does her devotion as a mother. She would do anything for her daughters, even when the cost meant starting over again and again. That unwavering love has been her compass through some of the difficult and most uncertain moments of her life.
When Zianna was just 15, her life was turned upside down in a way most adults would struggle to survive. She’d been living in Chicago with her father, trying to carve out some normalcy, when an incident involving his girlfriend left her child harmed. Zianna’s father turned her away. Her belongings were tossed onto the street, and she felt alone.
With nowhere to go, she moved in with her aunt. Four months later, desperate for more stability, she called her grandmother. The answer was short and final: “No. I raised my kids.”
The rejection cut deep. Her father had already taken her away from her mother years earlier, and now her last hope was to find her. That reunion became the start of a long, winding journey, one marked by instability, survival, and an unshakable determination to create a better life for herself and her daughter.
Finding a Way Forward
Zianna had always loved school and looked forward to earning her high school diploma. Education felt like the key to building a future for herself and her young daughter. However, when she arrived in Madison in 2019 to live with her mother, who was staying with a friend at the time, her plans quickly unraveled. At first, they were welcomed, but after a disagreement with her mother’s friend, Zianna had no choice but to spend several nights sleeping in her mother’s car with her baby.
The instability made it impossible for her to keep up with school, forcing her to put her educational goals on hold. Eventually, she found space at the Salvation Army shelter, where she stayed for a year and a half. The environment was crowded and unpredictable, and Zianna learned quickly how to survive. “You just try to keep your head down and focus on getting out,” she says. That determination fueled her eagerness to get connected with the YWCA, where she believed she could find more stability. She called every single day until a spot opened.
When she finally connected with the YWCA, a case worker immediately began helping her find housing, get her daughter into daycare, and secure a job. But just as she began to see a path forward, disaster struck: her room at the YWCA caught fire.
“We had to start over so many times,” she recalls.
Building Stability
With help from her housing advocate at The Road Home Dane County in 2021, Zianna was able to obtain critical documents removing barriers that had been holding her back. Around the same time, she was connected with a local congregation that helped provide furniture, clothes, and other household essentials when she had to start over after losing belongings in the shelter.
To Zianna, her two bedroom apartment was everything she needed. “I didn’t care what type of bedroom it was—I was just excited to get the keys.”
She has created a home where her daughters feel safe, stable, and loved. Both girls are thriving, and Zianna’s role as the ‘family mediator’ extends beyond her own household. She ensures that everyone in her family feels heard and understood, drawing on her natural gift for empathy. “Home means somewhere you can go no matter what. Family, togetherness, a sense of belonging.”
Looking Ahead
Zianna has big dreams. She’s excited to enroll in Operation Fresh Start’s program, which helps young adults build career and life skills. Afterward, she plans to attend Madison College (MATC) for business and cosmetology so she can open her own braiding shop.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for a year now, and I’m finally doing it.” Her long-term goal? Buy a home she can leave to both her daughters.
“This is where y’all can go,” she says. “Not just one of you—both of you.”
Every school year, Zianna celebrates her daughters’ first day of school with pancakes. Her oldest daughter wakes up extra early, full of excitement. Those mornings are a reminder of just how far they’ve all come. “My kids’ happiness is everything to me. I love it when they’re happy.”
Having had her first child at 15, Zianna takes pride in her progress and knows there’s more she can achieve. Zianna encourages other young mothers with simple but powerful advice: “Keep your mind straight. Don’t let anyone distract you. Aim for your goal.”
Zianna’s journey is not just one of survival, it’s one of resilience, determination, and love. With every step, she’s breaking cycles, creating stability, and building the kind of future she once thought was out of reach.