Evening of Inspiration: Alumni Light the Way Forward

“There’s a reason why the rearview mirror in your car is small, but your windshield is big,” Jan Watkins told a room full of current Warren Village residents on March 18. “What is behind you is behind you. You have a future ahead of you.”

Hard-won wisdom and words of warmth and support set the tone for another edition of our Evening of Inspiration, held at Althea Center, a few blocks from our Gilpin campus. 

At each Evening of Inspiration event, current residents have a chance to learn from residents who came before them in a supportive, open environment. Our staff provides childcare, and a donor usually provides food.

After volunteers from Johns Manville served delicious burrito bowls and tacos from Illegal Pete’s, three Warren Village alumni — Jan Watkins, Kaysha Gray, and Lee Ortega — took the stage. 

They spoke honestly with residents about their experiences with single parenthood — both the struggles and the successes.

Stories of Transformation

The evening opened with each panelist reflecting on what brought them to Warren Village and how the program supported their growth. For Kaysha, who just completed her master’s degree in Healthcare Administration, the support came in three vital forms. First, mental health counseling helped her navigate the emotional burden of single parenthood. Educational guidance helped her discover her career path. Financial literacy training, meanwhile, taught her to manage money after racking up credit card debt as a young mother.

“I had my son at 19 years old, so I felt like I was partially still in high school, not sure what I wanted to do with my career,” Kaysha shared. “Warren Village supported me in finding Healthcare Administration. I love it so much. I’ve grown so much in the field.”

Lee emphasized the importance of the many connections she built during her time in the program. “We still go on play dates,” she said. “The connection part was really important to me—keeping the people close to me that had the lived experience as well.”

Jan, who earned her master’s in communication and taught at Metro State and Community College of Aurora, described the comprehensive support system that made her success possible. “[The Warren Village team] are locked into so many different resources,” she said, encouraging residents to take advantage of everything from counseling to financial literacy classes to yoga. “Anything that you can do to help you become a more positive, productive person and a better example for your children, they offer that to you.”

Honest Conversations About Fear and Growth

When residents asked about the fears of leaving Warren Village, all three panelists spoke with striking honesty. Jan admitted she was “scared as hell” when she moved out on her birthday in January 2016. “I was moving from the comfort of this nest, this warm den, where there was all the support, and I was going to be stepping out into the great unknown,” she recalled. That first night in her new apartment, she slept on the floor by the front door, still feeling protective of her daughters.

Lee shared her own anxieties about safety after leaving the security of Warren Village’s protective environment, always “looking over my shoulder.” She was also nervous about paying market rent and managing her budget without the same level of support.

But Kaysha saw the transition as an opportunity for growth, she said, and noted how it helped her to frame her struggles in a positive way. “I was definitely nervous about being responsible for my finances and my time,” she said. “But I was also really excited to move out because I was like, ‘You are graduating. You are moving on to the next day.’ Life has gotten very beautiful after Warren Village as well.”

Wisdom for the Journey

Throughout the evening, residents asked questions ranging from how to know when it’s safe to enter new relationships after domestic violence, to managing the transitions from Warren Village, to building trust again after trauma.

The panelists’ advice was both practical and profound. Kaysha encouraged residents to “change the way you look at things, and the things you look at will change,” quoting football coach Vince Lombardi. She emphasized giving yourself grace: “Don’t be too hard on yourself. My word of life is just giving yourself grace. Always.”

Lee urged residents to take things “one day at a time, sometimes one moment at a time,” and reminded them that self-care isn’t selfish. “If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t love anybody else,” she said. She also spoke candidly about the importance of slowing down and being present. “Kids grow up really fast. There’s moments where I’m crying because my kids are grown and they’re out of the house.”

Jan’s advice centered on setting boundaries and building a strong inner circle. “Find yourself five good girlfriends who will be on a plane, a bus, a train, walking, scooter, whatever they need to do to get to you,” she said. She also encouraged residents to work with their advocates and counselors to prepare for life after Warren Village.

All three women stressed the importance of counseling. Kaysha has been seeing the same therapist for six years. “I’m a huge believer in counseling,” she said.

A Legacy of Hope

One of the most moving moments of the evening came when Jan shared what her now-22-year-old daughter told her recently: “Mom, we had the best time at Warren Village. We had Lynn, we had Allison, we had everybody down in Family Services. But you know what, Mom? The best thing that you gave us was your time. You taught us to love ourselves.”

Jan recalled how she broke down in tears during that conversation. “That’s the best thing that you can give to yourself and your child—time and love. Those are the things they’re going to remember down the road.”

As the evening drew to a close, one current resident stood to thank the panelists. “It’s really nice to hear the words coming out of your mouths and the things that you’ve gone through to where you’re at now,” she said. “The wisdom that was bestowed upon you guys going through the struggles—that is the definition of power.”“

And Jan offered one final affirmation: “There were plenty of nights that I laid in bed looking up at the ceiling thinking, ‘I have no idea what I am doing.’ But I kept going, and I kept pushing. You fall down, you get back up. That’s the difference. You all made a decision to change your lives and come to Warren Village. That takes great courage, that takes strength, that takes guts.”

Thank you so much to our panelists for sharing your time with us and our community!