"JJMSF doesn’t just provide financial assistance and mentoring, it's a second family."

Kanika Brooks Peters was born and raised in the South Bronx, USA. She moved with her mother to the J.P. Mitchel Housing Projects at the age of four. In 1994, Kanika entered the engineering program at A. Philip Randolph High School. By senior year, in addition to classes, after school activities, and a part time job, a common routine for Kanika was a stop to the school’s college office. While searching through the crates of scholarship applications and college program materials, Kanika came across an application for the Juanita James Memorial Scholarship Foundation. She applied, interviewed, and was awarded the scholarship in June of 1998. In September, Kanika began her studies at Columbia University in New York. In 1999, she was a part of Dr. Jordan’s New York Times article, "A Babysitter in the Bronx". In 2002, Kanika graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in math and statistics. She began her professional career teaching middle school math at Newark Academy. Staying true to her love of mathematics, Kanika worked as a financial planner at Ernst and Young and is currently Director of Retirement Plan Services at Kolinsky Wealth Management in Ramsey, New Jersey. In 2010 Kanika was appointed to the Board and in 2020 she earned the Qualified 401k Administrator (QKA) credential.