JacQuan D. Winters is a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology with a concentration in Criminal Justice from the University of West Alabama. He also earned a Master of Education Degree from the University of West Alabama. Following the suicide of his eleven-year-old sister, Kristen, JacQuan sought a way to keep her memory alive, so he founded the Kristen Amerson Youth Foundation. The Kristen Amerson Youth Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The mission of the Kristen Amerson Youth Foundation is to ensure better lives for youth through suicide prevention and educational outreach. Following the death of his sister, JacQuan was able to find purpose in his pain. He has realized his passion, which is to serve younger generations. JacQuan remembers the struggles he endured as a child and desires to uplift young adults and children by using his testimony as empowerment. As a child, JacQuan struggled with reading and never had an interest in reading. As JacQuan progressed into adulthood, he developed a strong love for literacy and reading. JacQuan believes that children underestimate the value of reading and wishes to make reading more fun for them.
