How Community Transforms

Danielle Staton is the Executive Director of Jeremiah Program’s Baltimore campus. She has spent her professional career dedicated to expanding equity and access to underserved communities in educational spaces.

Over the last 15 years, she has served in several capacities that align with the two-generation model of Jeremiah Program, including Head Start and early childhood education programming, family and community engagement, college access, and workforce development.

She most recently served as the founding Senior Director of Programs with iMentor Baltimore, leading the strategy and implementation of iMentor’s school-based programming in the organization’s newest region. 

Our Q+A with the inspiring Danielle is below, and be sure to check out her full feature in our April 2026 issue of En Root!

This month's theme is all about the transformative power of community. Tell us how this theme has played a role in your personal or professional life.

The transformative power of community has played a significant role in both my personal and professional life. Through my work with Jeremiah Program Baltimore, I’ve seen how community can be the difference between surviving and truly thriving. The moms we serve are balancing parenthood, careers, and higher education, and it’s the support, accountability, and shared encouragement within their community that helps make that possible. Personally, over the past year, I’ve also had to lean on my own community in deeper ways while navigating a breast cancer diagnosis. In the simplest way, it reminded me that I don’t have to carry everything on my own. That experience has reinforced for me that community isn’t just about connection, it’s about creating the conditions for growth, resilience, and transformation.

At OutGrowth, we believe in designing the space and time to reimagine the path forward. How do you think that tapping into our community can help us to navigate our lives and careers?

Tapping into community reminds us that we don’t have to navigate life and our careers in isolation, and that we were never meant to.

I’ve seen firsthand that community isn’t just a source of support; it’s often the bridge between where someone is and where they’re trying to go. At Jeremiah Program, our moms are navigating parenthood, careers, and higher education all at once. What makes that possible isn’t just individual determination, it’s the strength of community—people who offer encouragement, share resources, hold them accountable, and remind them of what’s possible, especially on the hard days.

Tapping into community creates room for growth. It allows us to move further, faster, and with more sustainability than we ever could on our own. Community keeps us grounded, but it also pushes us forward.

What is one hard lesson you learned in this past year that contributed to your growth?

This year taught me a hard but necessary lesson: I can’t normalize “doing it all” at the expense of my health. Before my breast cancer diagnosis, I was constantly exhausted. I couldn’t get through the day without a nap. Many evenings I would fall asleep in my car while waiting for my daughter to finish basketball practice.

What’s striking is that I didn’t really see it as a red flag that something could be physically wrong with me. I had convinced myself that this level of exhaustion was simply the cost of being an engaged, working mom. It wasn’t until my diagnosis that I realized my body had been trying to get my attention all along, and I had been too busy pushing through to listen.

What is one competency or skill you hope to develop in 2026?

The ability to carve out intentional time to truly rest and not feel guilty about it.

What inspires you?

I’m inspired every day by the women we serve at Jeremiah Program. Many of our moms are overcoming challenges that would stop most people in their tracks, yet they continue to push forward, parenting, working, and pursuing their education all at once.

There have been times when I’ve felt overwhelmed or discouraged, and in those moments, hearing a mom’s story or receiving an update on her progress has been grounding. It reminds me how much I have to be grateful for, and challenges me to keep going, just as they do.

At OutGrowth, we believe in preparing the next generation of leaders. What is one resource you'd recommend to those looking to carve out the time for growth in the next year?

I'm a little late to the party on this, but one resource I’d recommend is the “Let Them Theory” by Mel Robbins. It’s a simple but powerful mindset shift that encourages you to stop trying to control others and instead focus your energy on what you can control. Things like your own growth, boundaries, and well-being. For me, it’s been a reminder that carving out space for growth often starts with letting go of what isn’t mine to carry.

What's next? What are you excited about in the coming year?

This is my reconstruction year. What began as a reference to having reconstructive surgery at the end of March, has grown into something much deeper, a commitment to rebuild my life with intention. I’m stepping into this next chapter with hard-earned wisdom, clearer boundaries, and a renewed focus on my physical and mental well-being.

At the same time, I’m reimagining how I lead. I’m focused on creating stronger structures and building systems that not only support the work, but elevate it, so that Jeremiah Program Baltimore can serve families with even greater impact and consistency.