Vonya Quarles

About Vonya

• I grew up poor, moved around a lot, and spent time in foster care while my mother struggled with alcoholism, addiction, and incarceration.
• I dropped out of middle school and began struggling with substance abuse myself.
• I first entered the juvenile justice system when I was 11 years old and spent about 15 years in the criminal justice system overall.
• I was paroled in 1990 and was able to get a job at an oil refinery by hiding my background.
• While my job at the oil refinery changed my economic trajectory, I eventually realized that I was more so checked out and hiding rather than thriving.
• I started going to school at night and ultimately earned my bachelor’s degree as well as a law degree.
• I attended a Women Organizing for Justice and Opportunity training that completely changed my mindset about the work that needed to be done and the role I could play if I applied my whole self.
• In 2009, I co-founded Starting Over, Inc., an organization focused on helping people overcome homelessness through transitional housing, harm reduction, and supportive services.