(This is the first in a series of monthly blogs the R4F will be sharing)
Hi, I’m Jana Rehou
I’m a 23-year-old from Toronto, Ontario. For a long time, I never imagined I’d be writing anything like this, let alone as a college student studying Community and Justice. There was a time when my only goal was to survive the day in front of me, not to plan for a future that felt completely out of reach.
When School Felt Impossible
Growing up, life didn’t follow a smooth or predictable path. I made choices I’m not proud of: dropping out of high school, surrounding myself with people who weren’t good for me, and repeating the same patterns because I didn’t know how to break them. College felt like something meant for other people—people who were more stable, more focused, more “deserving” than me.
Most days, I wasn’t thinking about applications, programs, or careers. I was thinking about getting through the next 24 hours. At the time, it felt like my mistakes were my identity, and I carried that weight into every decision I made.
Learning That Mistakes Don’t Define You
Looking back now, I can see that those difficult years were shaping me in ways I didn’t understand. They taught me resilience, self-awareness, and the importance of taking responsibility for my own growth. I learned that while we can’t erase our past, we can choose what we do with it.
The turning point for me was realizing that my story didn’t have to end where it started. I could decide, at any moment, to write a different chapter. Growth often comes from our lowest moments, and accepting that helped me move from shame to action.
Finding My Place at Humber College
Today, I’m in my fourth semester at Humber College, studying Community and Justice. Even now, that still feels surreal to say. I went from believing education was impossible for someone like me to actively building a life rooted in purpose, advocacy, and change.
Being in school has given me more than grades or credits. It has given me structure, stability, and a sense of belonging. It has also opened doors I never would have known existed, like my placement with the Regis 4Ever Foundation, which has been one of the most powerful experiences of my life so far.
The Work of the Regis 4Ever Foundation
The Regis 4Ever Foundation was created in 2020, following the death of Ukrainian Canadian Afro-Indigenous woman Regis Korchinski Paquet. The foundation supports families affected by police-related deaths and works toward truth, accountability, and systemic change. It is a grassroots organization powered by community care, love, and the refusal to accept silence or injustice.
Through my placement, I’ve had the opportunity to support this work in hands-on and deeply personal ways. One of my main roles is helping organize the annual Celebration of Life event in Toronto. This event brings people together to honor the lives lost, uplift grieving families, and create a space for healing through music, food, children’s activities, and community speakers who remind us why this work matters.
I also assist families in accessing resources and connecting them with support networks—whether that’s emotional, practical, or financial. Another part of my work involves amplifying advocacy campaigns such as #JusticeForRegis and #SayHerName through social media and community outreach. Additionally, I help promote the Regis Korchinski-Paquet Scholarship, which supports BIPOC youth pursuing education and leadership opportunities.
How This Work Changed Me
This experience has changed the way I see myself, my community, and the kind of impact I want to have. It has reminded me that community care matters—that justice work is not just policy or headlines, but real people, real families, and real grief. It has shown me that healing and resistance often happen side by side: in the same rooms, at the same events, in the same conversations.
At my core, I am someone who cares deeply about social justice and about people who have been overlooked, dismissed, or pushed aside by systems that claim to support them. Now that I have more stability in my life through education and routine, I feel a responsibility to give back. I want to stand with people whose stories are too often ignored and help create spaces where they are heard, believed, and supported.
Turning Hardship Into Purpose
My past doesn’t disappear just because I’m in college now. The girl who dropped out of high school and felt stuck in a cycle of mistakes is still part of me, but she is no longer the one in control. Instead, she is a reminder of how far I’ve come and why I refuse to take any of this for granted.
Turning hardship into purpose has become one of the most meaningful parts of my journey. I want others with stories like mine to know that their past does not disqualify them from a meaningful future. You can start over at 18, 35, or 60. You can get up and choose a different path.
If there is one thing my journey has taught me, it’s this: you are allowed to rewrite your story. And sometimes, the chapters you’re most ashamed of become the very ones that give your voice its strength.
The Regis 4Ever Foundation 