Kristel Avilus

Story By: PAIGE GORDIER

Kristel and her mother emigrated from Jamaica when Kristel was 13 years old. They left behind their family and quickly found that they were not ready for the change in culture they would experience. Tallahassee was such a different environment and fitting in was definitely a challenge. Kristel was severely bullied in school as the students picked on her for her accent and the uniform type clothes her mother had her wear to school.

She also got involved in partying, was failing eighth grade, and was found guilty of shoplifting from a large department store. In an effort to help her daughter, Kristel’s mother found the Leon County Pace Center for Girls School and enrolled Kristel in the program. This action changed Kristel’s life and has now allowed her to come full circle from a client to Executive Director. She is the first person to work in all the positions at Pace and as a ‘Pace Girl’ this gives her the opportunity to demonstrate the power of resiliency and be a role model for young women.

The mission of Pace is to provide girls and young women an opportunity to better their future. This is done through education, counseling, training and advocacy. When Kristel arrived at Pace she found a home, a place where she fit in, and the support to help her have an amazing future. Although the girls can only attend school at Pace for two years, their counselors and the staff follow the girls when they move on. At the end of Kristel’s time at Pace, she was doing much better but also found out that she was going to be a teenage mother. At 16 years old, Kristel had her first baby but she now had the skills and support to move forward knowing she could succeed.

Kristel went on to graduate from high school and then attended Tallahassee Community College, Thomas University, and Florida State University. Kristel is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). She uses her experience and education to help others. Kristel returned to Pace as a teacher then took on other roles including intake coun- selor, spiritual girl teacher, social service manager, and program director. She has been the Executive Director since August but was officially assigned the title in January.

Kristel is married to Joey and they are parents to six children ranging in age from 4 to 23. Kristel and Joey are the owners of a transportation company in Tallahassee and very involved in their community. Kristel has been earned the respect and admiration of her peers and has been awarded the 2021 Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers (Florida Chapter), the 2021 Oasis Center for Women Unsung Hero Award, and included in the Tallahassee Democrat Newspaper as one of the “Top 25 Women You Need to Know”.

Kristel is a woman who is making a difference. Her resiliency and life experiences help her be an advocate for youth and a role model for girls who are struggling to find their place and the support they need. Kristel is especially dedicated to working with pregnant teens. Her experiences and success truly make her a role model and inspiration for the youth she dedicates herself to.