Making a difference through service
In 2021, Roneishia Franklin, the current parent support specialist at Seagoville High School, gave herself an unusual birthday present, founding Blooming with Purpose, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering young women.
Franklin, a graduate of Seagoville High School, began her nonprofit with a longing to become a servant leader and following a guiding mantra: “You have to give to pour into others.” Franklin saw the need in the community, especially among homeless people, and decided to do her part. She also saw the need among young women to believe they are more than the sum of their looks. When she combined the two—acts of charity and mentoring—Blooming with Purpose was born.
“I feel like I’m a servant leader, and I like pouring into the community and the youth,” Franklin said. “I want to let young women know that they’re more than their beauty or appearance; they have to build character as well.”
Franklin, who was then working as an accounting assistant at a law firm, coordinated food and toiletry drives, distributed blankets to homeless individuals on Thanksgiving, and started mentoring young girls about their worth. She then began donating prom tickets and prom dresses to Seagoville High School. But she went one step further, acting as a bridge to connect students with resources from local nonprofits.
She got so involved in helping the students that, in 2022, school administrators offered her first an office and then a job.
Franklin refused the offer at first, but when she thought about it more deeply, she realized the opportunity aligned with her desire to serve. She soon eased into a new role as a media assistant, working closely with the testing coordinator. The following year, she transitioned into her current position as a parent support specialist.
Franklin’s current position aligns with her commitment to serve others. In her short time Seagoville High School’s parent liaison, she has hosted workshops for parents on topics such as mental health, suicide prevention, bullying, and financial literacy. She also works closely with the North Texas Food Bank to bring food to families and provides support and resources to pregnant students.
“We sign up the pregnant students for WIC, give them diapers, and take them to a baby shower that the district hosts in the spring,” Franklin said. “There, they receive car seats, diapers, strollers, and other things.”
Franklin has cultivated trust with Seagoville students, especially young women, that goes beyond workshops. She recalls a time when one student in her pregnant-parenting group reached out to her late one night last year. The student was in the hospital, about to give birth.
“She was at the hospital alone, and she needed help getting baby clothes and food and items of that sort. It was just second nature for me to want to help her,” Franklin said.
Franklin drove to the hospital to bring the student baby essentials. She made sure to stay in constant contact with the student, providing reassurance and comfort. It was at this moment that Franklin felt certain she was fulfilling her faith-driven purpose.
“I feel like my purpose is here at Seagoville High School. I’ve reached and impacted so many lives, and I love what I do,” Franklin said.
Franklin’s dedication to students has not gone unnoticed by the district. In 2024, she received the Rookie of the Year High School Award for Family and Community Engagement.
“Caring about others and serving others fulfills me, ” she said.
Franklin said she is completing a master’s degree in psychology at the University of North Texas and hopes to become a child psychologist for Seagoville High School. After working in corporate America for years, Franklin says education holds her heart—and she does not intend to leave.
“I hope that I can be a resource and a safe haven to my students and that they know they can always come to me,” Franklin said. “I’d like to leave my mark with my positivity and by helping everyone here.”
