Born in Northern California, Tiombe Jones’ early years had a profound impact on her life’s goals. She was inspired to change the lives of people around her; the poverty, addictions, homelessness, and inequalities that surrounded her and that shaped her own perspective. Although she also faced many of these same problems, she graduated from Strath Haven High School in Wallingford, Pennsylvania thanks to the program “A Better Chance.” She became the first person in her family to complete high school and the first to go on to college.
During high school, she participated in the National Honor Society, served as secretary of the local chapter of the NAACP, taught Sunday School at church, and worked on race issues through the Human Relations Council and United People of Color, all while maintaining a high GPA. Tiombe also published and performed her poetry and fiction and received several awards.
Tiombe returned to California for college and graduated from Pomona College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology in May, 2002. Her thesis work compared disparities in healthcare and reproductive choices provided to women depending on whether they received public or private medical insurance. Upon graduation, Tiombe accepted a position as Development Director of a community-based nonprofit serving the predominately-Latino population of Boyle Heights in Los Angeles, CA and found her calling.
Despite her enthusiasm and sucess in this field, Tiombe left non-profit management August, 2004 to begin working towards her Juris Doctorate at Loyola Law School. “I loved working with CBOs, and I’m still committed to grassroots organizing and social justice, but I was frustrated by being unable to control the channels of funding. I want to help advocate from the inside-out.” Tiombe continued to volunteer her time and energy fundraising and planning special events for non-profit organizations through three years of law school until her graduation in May, 2007. Upon graduation, Tiombe and her family moved to Dallas, Texas, where Tiombe took a job helping troubled individuals as a probation officer. The *very* proud mother of two boys, Yomi and Kay, Tiombe divides her time between the demands of working, parenting, and writing. Tiombe finished her first novel, Reason, in 2006 and is currently working on her second. She faces each new challenge in life with the firm knowledge and assurance that God has kept her thus far, and will continue to lead and guide her into her future.
