Everyday I have the pleasure of meeting extraordinary women who tell me their stories of triumph, challenge, perseverance, discovery, and joy. I’m always amazed at the things that we as women are able to accomplish. Today I’ve had the pleasure in interviewing a very special person Raena Janes.

Reana’s story starts in 2002 when she opened La Paloma charter school in Phoenix, Arizona. She wanted to provide the members of her community an affordable alternative to the substandard public school system without the extreme costs of private school. A novice to grant writing, Ms. Janes was awarded a 2.5 million dollar grant to create an environment where children could learn morals, values, philanthropy, and entrepreneurship along with the typical elementary school curriculum.

Each grade level is dedicated to a community focus such as the underprivileged, military, sickly and the environment. Reana herself is dedicated to the community as an active member in several non-profit community organizations like Junior League of Tucson, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, Habitat for Humanity, Red Cross, and the Advisory Council for the Arizona Charter School Association.

What started out to be a small preschool in Reana’s father’s church is now Arizona ’s largest charter school system in Arizona. Ms. Janes has grown to be superintendant and director of four charter schools servicing over 3000 children.

Under Reana’s leadership La Paloma Academy was awarded the State of Arizona’s 2005 Excellence in Education Award and she herself has been the recipient of Tucson’s 40 Under 40 Award, and was also named the 2008 Tucson 40 Under 40 Mentor of the Year.

In spite of the awards and accolades Ms. Janes is first and foremost a mother of twins, a boy and  girl. She said that it was important for her to develop an education system that she would be confident enough to put her own children through. Reana’s children will no doubt benefit from the legacy their mother will be able to leave them. As we spoke, this highly intelligent, extremely successful, and overly modest mom said she just does it for the kids.

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