Myla Cardona-Jones is a Sinclair student majoring in Paralegal Studies. She previously attended Ohio University and completed her bachelor’s degree in chemistry but soon after realized she had different interests.
“I started thinking about what else I would like to get myself involved in, what my real passion is, and it always led me back to the legal aspect of things,” explained Cardona-Jones.
The paralegal program at Sinclair was the best option for Cardona-Jones to test the waters of law school. Now that she has begun an official career path, Cardona-Jones intends to fulfill her passion by becoming a lawyer.
Cardona-Jones has been married for more than five years and has a three – year – old son. She speaks Spanish and is employed as a paralegal at an immigration law firm.
“I’ve always been passionate about different cultures and learning from different people,” she said.
Aside from attending class, going to work and spending time with her family, Cardona-Jones volunteers and serves the community extensively.
“I am passionate about everything that I do and I am always looking for ways to get involved in the community and give back,” Cardona-Jones said.
She volunteers on a regular basis with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, whose mission is to “Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.” Someone is diagnosed with blood cancer every four minutes, according to the society’s website.
Cardona-Jones is a 2015 Woman of the Year candidate, which is a title awarded to one volunteer from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society who raises $50,000 or more in a set ten-week period. Every year, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society nominates six men and six women to be candidates for Man and Woman of the Year.
In 2010, Cardona-Jones’ stepfather ran for Man of the Year and in 2014, her mother ran for Woman of the Year. Neither was able to reach their goal, but Cardona-Jones became motivated by the family efforts.
“I just felt inspired and called to do it,” said Cardona-Jones. “Hopefully the third time is the charm. . . I just want to do this for my family.”
Cardona-Jones has a sister, Regina Thomas, who is majoring in Liberal Arts here at Sinclair.
“Myla has always been the type to set a goal and just kind of reach it. She’s always been the hard worker of our family and she really has kept that quality going through her adult life. She’s still doing that with the campaign she’s doing right now,”Thomas said.
Cardona-Jones and her sister work to motivate each other. “I appreciate that she’s got a lot of honesty to her, which is not a quality that some people really have,” said Thomas. “She’s just a good motivator to look up to.”
Cardona-Jones is also inspired by Thomas. Cardona-Jones said that her sister is very mature for her age because she has endured some difficult things. Cardona-Jones thinks her sister has come out of those challenges as a strong woman.
Although the Woman of the Year must raise $50,000, after calculating the budget as it relates to her fundraising events and goals, Cardona-Jones has decided to aim for seventy-five thousand dollars.
Cardona-Jones is in the process of creating events, sending over five hundred letters, getting sponsorships, and fundraising.
“It’s long, it’s grueling, but it’s awesome in the end,” said Cardona-Jones.
Cardona-Jones’ sister believes in her. “She deserves to be woman of the year because she’s willing to work for it. She’s put in a lot of thought and effort and dedication to it,” said Thomas.
Cardona-Jones wishes to earn Woman of the Year so that she can create a research grant in her grandmother’s name. Cardona-Jones lost her grandmother to blood cancer. Cardona-Jones also lost her father to lung cancer.
Although blood cancer and lung cancer are not the same thing, they are both still cancer. As Cardona-Jones explains, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society researches drugs that could be applicable to other medical fields. Cardona-Jones has a personal connection to cancer and said, “I want it gone. I’m willing to do whatever I have to, whatever my part is, to get rid of it.”
Cardona-Jones has hope and wishes to instill hope in others. ¡Adios Cancer! Is her slogan.
Although Cardona-Jones takes many things in her life very seriously and handles her paralegal classes in a professional manner, she said she has a fun side as well.
“I feel like deep down inside I have missed my calling to be a comedian. I think I’m funny. Sometimes nobody else laughs, but I laugh at myself,” said Cardona-Jones.
She enjoys playing basketball, gardening, taking her son to Scene75, and eating pizza.
Cardona-Jones has valuable advice for others.
“Whatever your passion is in life, don’t let anything get in the way of that. So whatever it is that you have to do, just do it,” she said. “Don’t let anybody allow you to make an excuse for why you aren’t the greatest person you can be, and don’t let yourself give you an excuse for why you aren’t doing whatever you’re called to do.”
As Cardona-Jones has proven through the way she lives her own life, she said “You will achieve whatever it is that you want to if you just work hard at it.”
Cardona-Jones encourages others to visit her webpage — www.mwoy.org/pages/soh/dayton15/mcardonajo.
Maggie Stacey
Staff Writer