Meet Jesula Saintus

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jesula Saintus. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jesula below.

Jesula, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

Where do you get your resilience from?

Let me take you back—picture this: My dad was a machine. He worked multiple jobs, barely slept, but always showed up with strength and heart. My mom? A real-life queen with a crown of courage. Just fifteen days after giving birth to me, she had a stroke that left her paralyzed on one side. But you’d never know it by her spirit. She moved mountains without moving much—raising my brother and me with love, laughter, and grit.

So, where does my resilience come from? It was stitched into my soul from the start. I grew up surrounded by strength that didn’t shout—it showed. Watching my parents push through life’s hardest chapters with faith and determination taught me early that resilience isn’t about having it all together—it’s about refusing to give up when everything’s falling apart.

That same fire got me through being a young mom, raising four amazing boys, juggling work and school, and starting a whole movement to lift up my community. Trust me, there were days when the weight of it all felt like too much, but I leaned on prayer and hot tea, wiped my face, and kept it moving.

Because resilience, for me, is a lifestyle. I don’t just survive—I pivot, press forward, and pour into others while I do it. I cry, laugh, pray, sip my tea, and then I get back to work because the mission is bigger than me.

And when I talk to the next generation, I remind them: “You’re not just built tough—you’re built divine. Your story has power. And if I can rise from my chaos, so can you.”

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Hey hey! I’m Jesula Saintus—MPA, powerhouse Youth Advocate, Founder & CEO of NexStepz Inc., and your favorite School Board Candidate with purpose and passion!

What do I do? I build, I heal, I empower. NexStepz isn’t just a program—it’s a full-on movement rooted in real love, lived experience, and next-level vision. We’re shaking up the way communities support youth by creating out-of-the-box, culturally rooted, life-changing spaces where kids don’t just survive—they RISE.

Our programs are packed with heart, leadership, and real-world impact. We’re raising future moguls, leaders, creatives, and change-makers. And we’re doing it with glow parties, retreats, mentorship magic, entrepreneurial showcases, and all the soul our city’s been missing.

✨ What’s hot right now?

Level Up: The Ultimate Youth Reset Weekend – a wild, inspiring retreat where teens unplug, grow, and turn up!

BADDIES Weekend Takeover – not your average girls’ retreat. This is bold, healing, fun, and fiercely empowering.

Unity in Culture: Haitian Flag Day Festival – food, music, dancing, pride, and community vibes you don’t want to miss.

The True You Learning Lab – our newest gem helping homeschoolers and alt-ed students get customized learning with soul.

We’re also collaborating with barbershops, local legends, and community champions to turn everyday places into transformation, love, and legacy hubs.

NexStepz is where purpose meets the people. And my brand? It’s all heart, hustle, and holy fire. I’m here to break cycles, build bridges, and make noise for every young person told to sit down when they were born to stand up.

So, what do you think folks should know about me? Simple:
I’m not just showing up—I’m shifting the atmosphere. And baby, we’re just getting started. 💥

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The Top 3 Game-Changing Qualities That Shaped My Journey — Jesula Style 💁🏽‍♀️✨

💥 1. Resilience… Rooted in Real Life
Let’s keep it 💯—I had my first son at the end of my very first semester of college. While other students were studying for finals, I was preparing for labor. It wasn’t easy, but I didn’t let motherhood put my dreams on hold. I used it as fuel. I showed up to class tired and determined, with a baby on my hip and purpose in my heart.
Jesula’s Tip: Life won’t always follow your plan, but that doesn’t mean your story ends. Sometimes, the detour is the divine route. Cry when you need to, sip your tea, pray it out—and then boss up and keep going.

🎤 2. Storytelling That Connects and Heals
I used to fear that sharing my story would make people judge me. Now I know—it’s my superpower. My voice has opened doors, built bridges, and healed hearts. Whether mentoring young moms, leading retreats, or speaking truth to power, I use storytelling to change lives.
Jesula’s Tip: Stop watering down your testimony. The world doesn’t need the “perfect” version of you—they need the real one. Speak from the heart. That’s where the impact lives.

🔥 3. Vision with a Whole Lotta Hustle
Ideas are great, but I have a gift for making them happen. I took a dream, a notebook, and a lot of lived experience, and turned it into NexStepz Inc.—a movement for youth, families, and the entire community. Now I run retreats, youth empowerment programs, cultural festivals, and healing spaces that are changing the game.
Jesula’s Tip: Don’t wait for permission—build the table. Write the vision, take the leap, mess up, learn, grow, and keep going. Your dream is valid now, not “one day.”

To everyone just getting started:
You’re not behind—you’re right on time. Whether you’re 18 with a newborn or 38 restarting your life, you’ve got what it takes. Add faith, some flavor, a splash of boldness, and a lot of you—baby, you’re unstoppable. 💜

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?

Should you focus on your strengths or work on your weak spots?

Oh, honey, here’s the deal: I say GO ALL IN on what makes you unstoppable, and sprinkle in some growth sauce where you need it. Don’t dim your shine trying to be a jack-of-all-trades from the jump—lead with your power, then build the rest brick by brick.

Let me paint the picture:
I’ve always been that girl who could walk into a room and make folks feel seen, safe, and supported. I don’t care if you’re a city official or a 15-year-old who just got suspended—I’m connecting with you. That’s my God-given gift. So I went ALL IN. I built youth programs. I spoke on stages. I started NexStepz. I became the person I wish I had been growing up.

BUT—let me keep it real.
Behind all the love and loudness, there was one little problem: budgets, spreadsheets, and backend systems made me wanna disappear like Houdini. 😩 Like seriously… who made Excel that complicated?! BUT—I knew if I wanted my vision to fly, I had to stop side-eying my weaknesses and face them like a boss.

So I buckled down. Took the courses. Watched the tutorials. Sent those “Hey, I’m confused—help me out” emails. And now? I’m not just the vibe—I’m the blueprint.

Here’s the Jesula Truth Bomb™:
✨ Your strengths are what get you in the room.
✨ Your growth mindset is what keeps you there.
✨ Your heart? That’s what makes you unforgettable.

So, yes—lean into your magic. Build on what makes you YOU. But don’t run from the stuff that scares you. That’s usually where your next level lives.

And remember: You’re not meant to be “well-rounded” immediately. You’re meant to be well-rooted in purpose, and then you grow wings. 💜🦋

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nexstepz.org
• Instagram: @one_only90
• Facebook: Jesula S Saintus MPA, NexStepz Inc, Elect Jesula Saintus – School Board Candidate
• Linkedin: Jesula Saintus, MPA