We all know people drifting through life, taking things a day at a time, hoping tomorrow will be a better day. For them, the future is fuzzy and they have no solid goals. Jennifer Harris is not one of those people. She is focused and knows exactly what she wants to do. Her goal is to raise two healthy, well-adjusted children and to become a lawyer so she can help women who are victims of domestic violence.

There’s a reason for Jennifer’s passion. Three years ago the man she loved, the father of her children, became abusive both with his mouth and his fists. The first time he hit her, Jennifer thought she must have done something wrong. She hoped his surly mood would pass. Jennifer wanted her children to grow up with both their parents, she desperately wanted things to work. But instead of getting better…things got worse.

Police were called to their house on numerous occasions. Officers began to recognize the address and knew she and her boyfriend by their first names. The day Jennifer’s 2½-year-old daughter took her six-week-old baby brother out of his crib to hide in the closet during an argument, Jennifer knew it had to stop. But she didn’t know where to go or what to do next. When police gave her information about domestic violence shelters she decided to call Rose Brooks Center, one of six such shelters in the Kansas City.  There she met Court Advocate Sharon Dean. At Rose Brooks, Jennifer found comfort, support and help navigating the legal system. But that wasn’t all.

Jennifer also received counseling through Rose Brooks. She was invited to live in the shelter, but preferred to stay with family and friends. Counselors helped Jennifer cope with her anger and made her realize that the mental, physical and verbal abuse by her boyfriend wasn’t her fault. It was his fault. The court agreed, finding her abuser guilty of Domestic Violence, sentencing him to probation. When he violated an Order of Protection by breaking into Jennifer’s home, he was sent to jail.

She’s eternally grateful that counselors from Rose Brooks were there to guide her. They even helped her children by arranging counseling from the Children’s Place, another CFC agency. Jennifer appreciates the support so much that she now speaks publicly on behalf of Rose Brooks, and sometimes speaks with victims who come to the shelter. But she wants to do more.

Jennifer remembers police handcuffing her and taking her to jail after her boyfriend falsely told police she threw a rock at his car. Her blood boils when she recalls the way jailers took away her clothes, replacing them with paper clothing and rubber booties that had smiley faces on them, because her boyfriend said she might be suicidal. After spending hours in jail, the charges were dropped without an apology.

Jennifer works full time to support her family, and is also pursuing a law degree at UMKC Law School with an eye towards family law. She wants to become "House Counsel" for a Kansas City domestic violence shelter, a position that doesn’t currently exist. She says, "In the weakest moment of a woman’s life a battered woman has to be the strongest. It’s not fair, and I want to have the credentials to change the system."