Teaching was Samantha January’s childhood dream. Through life’s detours and road blocks, Samantha January is living a life far beyond her dream.

“Whatever God has placed within you I think when it’s the time he’ll orchestrate everything and have everything lined up,” said January.

At an age before she could comprehend what was in store for her life, eight-year-old Samantha January was inspired by her third-grade teacher.

“It was like ‘whoa” there is someone who looks like me,” she said. “She was really good at it and from that point on I was like I want to do this. I want to be just like her.”

Years later, January became a teen mom at 16. She was faced with the decision to quit school, or continue her education.

“My mom was like, ‘No you’re not quitting. You’re going to school. You’re going to have this baby and I’m going to help you with the baby and you’re going to graduate.'”

She graduated with honors.

As a young mom and newly married, it wouldn’t be long before her life took a major turn. January was forced to drop out of college. She found herself trapped in a vicious cycle.

“At this point I’m only 18 and I have two children and I’m by myself raising the two children,” said January.

January says moving forward, she had no choice but to operate in survival mode.

“My whole outlook and my goals at that time for myself was just I have to make it,” she said. “I have to figure something out to be able to support my children.”

After hurricane rita left her unemployed in 2005, she began seeing her hard work pay off, just one year later.

“All while I was working in banking, I was attending school at night, and so I had just graduated about two months before that in early childhood education,” she said.

January says she had no other choice but to find a way out. She opened an at-home daycare, “Sam’s Kids’ Safari.” Little did she know this was the open door to her destiny.

“We branched out into a facility instead of in my home and we haven’t stopped growing since,” she said.

With her families help, January is living her childhood dream by educating students, helping children in need and helping parents get through their tough times.

“I’ve been in their shoes. So that’s always in the back of my mind.”

January encourages others to never give up. She says every part of your journey is the building blocks to fulfilling your destiny.