Life and Work with Justice LaRue

Today we’d like to introduce you to Justice LaRue.

Justice, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was placed in the Texas foster care system the day I was born. My mother gave me up for adoption because according to her parents, “it is a disgrace to have a negro child in the family.” I was adopted at the age of three into a family that was already falling apart. My new adopted parents split shortly after and my new dad ended up committing suicide by hanging when I was about five years old. A year later, my adopted mother got remarried to a man who turned out to be an abusive drug user. Luckily, after a slew of incidents, I was court-ordered to move in with my aunt.

From that point, I found myself “lost in the system” – moving from city to city, school to school, foster home to shelter. I bounced around from place to place and attended seven different high schools. I was faced with many obstacles that too often destroys young peoples lives. While in school, I was always fully aware that upon turning eighteen, I would be out on my own with no support, so I worked two jobs and saved money in the meantime. After graduation, I attended the University of Houston where I recently graduated with three separate degrees in Corporate Communications, Business Management, and Finance with a specialty track in global energy management. I work full time as a business analyst and volunteer at Texas Children’s Hospital in my spare time. My passion is giving keynote speeches for an organization called CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) which provides a voice and support for children in the foster care system.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My journey has been filled with trying moments and character building experiences that too often destroy young people’s lives. While I do not think my journey was smooth in any way, I think it shaped me into the person I am today – and for that, I am grateful. My journey through the foster care system and transitioning into life as an adult, was, on its own, a struggle. When you combine that with the constant moving, drama, lies, and simply being a teenage girl – even I am shocked at the young lady I have flourished into. My advice for other women starting their journey is to focus on yourself and believe in yourself no matter what. It is so easy to get distracted by worldly things that will throw you off of your game and make you lose sight of what truly matters. Believing in yourself is the best thing you can do for you. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will. One of my favorite quotes is, “keep your heels high and your standards higher.” When you apply that to various aspects of your life – friends, men, your job, your life as a whole – it truly makes a difference in the things you will and will not tolerate. The last thing is a quote from Christine Caine – “sometimes, when you’re in a dark place, you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted.” That is such a powerful quote because while not every day will be easy or filled with sunshine, keeping in mind that the work you are putting in now and the struggles you are facing are steps to a brighter, elevated future.

Please tell us about Justice LaRue.
I work as a Business Development Specialist for a major company in downtown Houston. My main focus outside of that is traveling around the country giving keynote speeches for an organization that helped me while I was in foster care – CASA, CASA stands for court appointed special advocates and it is an organization that provides and voice and support to the nations most vulnerable children. I am most proud to be a part of this organization in this capacity because I know that by sharing my story, I am shining a light on an issue that is often swept under the rug. I have helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for various CASA programs as well as getting people interested in becoming volunteers,

There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
My advice for finding a mentor is to try to be mentored by someone who is thriving and has actual knowledge and experience in their role or industry. It makes no sense to take advice from a dentist with messed up teeth or a makeup artist with bad eyebrows. When it comes to networking, I have always been very soft spoken and more of an observer. The most effective way to network is to step out of the realm of your comfort zone and put yourself out there. Making connections with people can be volatile in reaching the next steps and putting yourself in the position you want to be with. Always approach networking with confidence and charm. When you exude confidence, others will likely be more inclined to want to make a connection with you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.justicelarue.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imjust_jrue
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jlarue5294

Image Credit:
Justice LaRue

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