Zhakier Seville
Parent Liaison
Trenton Restorative Academy [TRA]
(609) 656-4900 Ext: 5112 Rm: 120
zseville@trenton.k12.nj.us
Located at
Daylight Twilight Alternative High School
135 East Hanover Street, Trenton NJ, 08608
Main Office: 609-656-4900
Fax: 609-394-2718
Hi there, Trenton Restorative Academy Parents and Guardians:
Hello, my name is Zhakier Seville. I am the Parent Liaison for Trenton Restorative Academy (TRA). As you can see, I am racially ambiguous, but I identify as Black. My Grandfather is Black, My Mom is Black, I'm Black. I am not Hispanic. And I do not speak Spanish, though, I have big plans to change this reality so that I can better connect with our Hispanic Families at TRA! : )
Aiding the growth and success of parents, students, and teachers is a passion of mine. My passion was inspired in part by my own experience navigating Trenton as a single mother as well as the challenges I watched my mother face trying to navigate a system fraught with enticements that kept us dependent on social services longer than necessary– one generation after another. Like my mother, I have worked my fair share of minimum-wage jobs while raising my son. Our stories are not atypical for historically underserved and under-resourced communities like Trenton, New Jersey.
My mother worked arduously to free us from the debilitating debt one builds while trying to navigate our community, the healthcare system, and obtain comprehensive services. It often took my mother as much time to complete the enrollment process for service as the duration of the service itself, so that by the time she finished the paperwork and appointments to vet her as a qualifying candidate the services expired. And it cost her what little she was able to earn without a high school diploma to get my siblings and me back and forth to school, then get to the building with the services, and back home. Despite the challenges set before her, my mother graduated and obtained her high school diploma from Daylight Twilight when I was about 10 years old and would eventually find her success working for the state of NJ.
It was watching my mother exhibit insurmountable courage, strength, and persistence advocating for herself and her children that gave me the wisdom and willingness to do the same for me and my family. I aspire to have the courage and strength I saw in my mother. And I know that it was not without the overwhelming support of family, educators, counselors, and parent liaisons that I achieved my success today. As a first-generation college graduate, completing my undergraduate degree offered professional opportunities that my younger self would never have thought to consider.
As a single mother in the same community, I see some families struggle with the same systemic issues today. As the Parent Liaison of TRA, I want to use my lived experiences and the wealth of knowledge I gained from that experience to support and aid the success of students and parents at TRA. My mission is to stay apprised of community services, resources, and programs within our school and in our Trenton community and keep our school and parents connected.
It is an honor and privilege to serve my community. I hope to be a dependable source of information that I wish my mother and I had at the start of pursuing our dreams and aspirations.
