Alive on Purpose founder, 32
Why she's interesting: More than 38,000 Americans die of suicide every year, but as a survivor of attempted suicide, Jones is working to flip the script on those statistics. She's the founder of Alive on Purpose, a nonprofit launched in 2013 that's devoted to helping youth struggling with suicidal thoughts and depression by teaching them to realize their untapped potential and achieve their dreams.
Helping Hands: Jones tried to commit suicide at 14 and again at 21 when her mother died. With the help of family members, friends and mentors, she found a light in that darkness. "There were people along the way willing to extend their hands, whether it was somebody taking me to the library or to the store or to their house for the weekend — those are the people who were trying to save me for the day."
Life Saver: After becoming a licensed grief counselor, Jones founded Alive on Purpose, which works with Cuyahoga Community College and elementary schools by connecting kids to counselors and inspiring youth to get involved with their communities through outreach programs. "If you have breath in your body, it's because you're here for a reason."
Dance, Dance: More than 400 father-daughter pairs attended the annual Him and Me dance in 2015. The event, organized by Alive on Purpose, is the culmination of a yearlong program bringing fathers and daughters together for date nights while educating males how to be better fathers. "In the statistics of suicide, girls without fathers commit suicide at a greater rate than girls with fathers. We wanted to get ahead of that issue."
Brave Book: She's debuting the first in a series of children's books called The Adventures of Poa about a green-skinned girl who comes out of foster care to spark change. "She's a little version of me. I wanted Poa to see how I see. It's almost like she has X-ray vision."
Song Track: "While someone is listening to Beyonce, I'm listening to the Frozen soundtrack. My serenity comes in lighthearted things like that to bring the laughter and the fun back."
