Today we’d like to introduce you to Alana Washington.
Hi Alana, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
After graduating from the University of Kansas with a degree in Journalism & Minor of Theatre, 2020. I honestly did not know what career was for me. I applied to several jobs and landed a recruiting role at Pinnacle Staffing. Although I loved the staff and it was good money, I was not fulfilled. I knew there was more for me, and most importantly I knew I wanted to make an impact.
So, I went on a 30 day fast from social media. During that fast I asked God to reveal my purpose in the form of a career. I started reading about the Fruit of the Spirit and one of them is teaching. Jesus is a teacher! I pondered on how I took a semester off from college and taught preschool. During that time I felt aligned. I was passionate about the work and I loved nurturing kids.
Shortly after that revelation, I went to a Kauffman Scholar Alumni meet up and met the HR representative for the Ewing Marion Kauffman School. I started my first year of teaching Middle School English Language Arts shortly after. Teaching came naturally to me because it is gift given to me by the Lord.
During my first year of teaching, I started a poetry club. I realized that my children had an issue with expressing their emotions in a healthy way. I wanted to create a space where kids could share their emotions, problems and anxieties but be met with love, support and empowerment. Poetry became a ministry! I often talked about my relationship with God. Many kids confided in me about suicidal ideation and family issues.
Later in that year, my eldest brother Antonio Davis Jr., whom we call Bud. Passed to suicide. My family and I were devastated. We found him in his car, after shooting himself in the head. I got two weeks of bereavement, but I knew I had to go back and continue using my gift – even if it felt like too much to bear. My faith in God was the only thing that pulled me through.
That same year I founded Save a Life Mentorship. A program that fights against suicidal ideation, promotes social and emotional learning and nurtures a relationship with God. Our number one mission is to save kids physically and spiritually by encouraging them to give their life to Christ. We do this by creating a home outside of home for kids.
This includes mentoring, poetry, taking kids to church, bible study and providing day to day support for kids financially, emotionally and holistically. Many of my kids call me mama. My second year teaching I won Kansas City’s People’s Choice Awards Best Educator. Save a Life Mentorship was featured on National Public Radio and KSHB TV. I doubled my kids test scores, they grew over 50%.
In October 2025, I became a licensed minster and have been spreading the word of God to adults and children. I serve as the Youth and Young Adult Minister at Greater Faith Missionary Baptist Church. This position has allowed me to preach sermons to individuals in hopes that they will pursue a relationship with the Lord. I give Glory to God for all of my accomplishments. He’s my rock, my strength and my faith! I often say “I am nothing without him.”
I am continuing my career in the classroom, I am in the works of receiving my Masters in Middle School English Language Arts. I also plan to attend seminary school as well.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Anytime you acquire authority or leadership it requires responsibility. Everything I accomplished came quickly after losing my brother to suicide. My family is still grieving, we will never be the same. I’ve realized that I never took the time to rest and heal. I masked my trauma with good works and that eventually led to burn out.
I had acquired leadership roles in my place of employment, I was running Save a Life after school every Thursday, and I was taking kids to church on Sunday. Eventually this led me into an extreme depression and I am currently trying to find the balance in all of my gifts.
Another extreme hardship has been funding for Save a Life. I don’t have anyone helping me with grant writing, I am the person over our social media, go fund me page, website and more. 2025 was the lowest ranking year we received in donations. That was also the year I transitioned out of my position at the Ewing Marion Kauffman School, so my personal funds were extremely low as well. I had to find creative ways to still support my kids. We are still struggling with funding. Our Go Fund Me link is:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-save-a-life-mentorships-mission/fb/o?attribution_id=sl:60a5c710-a23a-4c72-8847-268181b07156&utm_campaign=natman_sharesheet_dash&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’ve always been known for my relationship with social media. I have over 10,000 followers on Tik Tok and over 5,000 followers on Instagram. My ability to influence stems from authenticity. My niche is lifestyle! I’m not afraid to show my personality, share my hardships nor do I pretend to be perfect. My motto is transparency! Because of this people get to truly see my transformation as I further my relationship with Christ.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I don’t believe in luck or coincidence. Everything happens for a reason. You have the power and authority to change your life through faith and good works. Faith without works is dead.
Pricing:
- (Full year) $1000 Gas- used for transporting kids to and from church and other places they may need to go.
- (Full year) $1,000 Food – all Save a Life students are provided food at any activity. Most of my kids do not have stable living conditions.
- (Full year) $1,000 Materials – this includes things like a printer, bibles, books, clothing and games.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.savealifementorship.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ministeralana/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ministeralana
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@ministeralanawashington
- Other: https://gofund.me/0e968ffbb
