Pria Collins

I graduated with my bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a minor in social work in 2011. I had my son while I was in college, and I'm grateful for my family and my village who ensured I was able to graduate. After graduation, I thought I was going to take everything by storm, but it took me a couple years before I got into my field in 2015. That's when I started working with juveniles that were at risk, and it was something enlightening. I worked on the social work side, teaching kids life skills, taking them to community service, and showing them how to survive on their own and what real life was going to be like. These were kids on probation, and the program was like school Monday through Friday. I worked with the ones who wanted to take the program seriously and do better with their lives, while still showing grace to those who wanted to be hardcore. This was one of the doors that opened into the world of social work and the juvenile justice system. After taking maternity leave when I had my daughter, I moved into background screening with foster care agencies here in Tampa, Florida, working at Hillsboro Kids Inc., which became Eckerd Kids, then Eckerd Connect, before the state severed ties and another company took over. Working in child welfare was heartbreaking but eye-opening. It taught me that I was living in a bubble and that there's a lot I didn't know. It taught me to be self-aware about everything around me, to pay attention, to read people, and to use my intuition. Even though I may not always be able to protect my children, I can give them the wisdom to understand that there are good people in the world, but sometimes you just have to be careful.