A Life Transformed

Project RAGE, Inc. CEO Janice Higgins on May 16 was honored as a Woman of Distinction by 40th District Assemblymember Mike Morrell (R-Rancho Cucamonga), where she was recognized for her community service through her work with at-risk youth and parents in the San Bernardino area, and for her work in calling attention to human trafficking. A survivor of sexual exploitation herself, Higgins has worked with San Bernardino area schools including Arroyo Valley High School, San Andreas High School and San Bernardino High School since 2009, where she coaches parents and students especially coming out of gangs, abuse, prostitution and sexual exploitation on “turning negative behavior into positive behavior. But our main focus is on human trafficking,” she said. At 18 years old, Higgins, a Phoenix native, was kidnapped from her home in Arizona, and was forced into prostitution, with her then two-year-old daughter being held by her captors. Higgins suffered violent physical abuse, and fell into alcohol and substance addiction. It was in 2003 that she published a series of novels on her experiences, titled “There Were No Parents in the Home,” describing her life experiences in chilling detail. With the success of her novels, Higgins founded Project R.A.G.E. (Release Anger & Guilt for Empowerment) that same year, to coach youth on how to deal with anger and guilt through positive and empowering experiences, her website states. Higgins has traveled throughout the country, sharing her story and her message of encouragement. The recognition for her work came as a welcome surprise for the 50-year-old CEO, author and life coach. “I was excited and honored that people recognized the work I do, especially because I do it from the heart,” she said. Higgins is a member of the Soroptimist of Chino Hills since 2010, C.A.S.E. (Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation) since 2009, and Operation Read with the Los Angeles County Probation Department since 2006. Among her accolades, Higgins counts recognition from the 43rd Congressional District, the California Legislature Assembly, the City of Montclair, and for congressional recognition, to name a few. She is also the recipient of the 2010 Black Rose Award and the 2010 Ruby Award from the Soroptimist of Foothills. Additionally, Higgins is a member of the Faith Chapel (Church of God In Christ—COGIC) Bishop Roy Dixon and is a volunteer member of Chapel of Happiness: Central California Women’s Facility. She also has six children, ranging in age from 17 to 34 years old. She holds a degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Phoenix, where she is currently working toward a degree in psychology. Her message to others? She looks to Benjamin Franklin for some help. “Tell me and I’ll forget,” she quotes. “Teach me, and I’ll remember. Involve me, and I’ll learn.”