Tay Follows Her Passion And Co-Founds ‘Leveled Up Reentry’

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We are always thrilled to hear from former clients! LaTanisha “Tay” Booker spoke to us recently to connect and share her success. She is a class of 2015 graduate from Pioneer’s former Roadmap to Success job-readiness training program in Seattle. Tay said, “I desired to reconnect with you all at Pioneer because Pioneer was a huge part of my journey.”

In 2023, Tay followed her passion and co-founded Leveled Up Reentry in Tacoma with her partner, Jazz Lynn. Their shared commitment proved to be a driving force to empower individuals impacted by the legal system and assist them as they navigate their journey toward liberation, healing and long-term self-sufficiency.

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Tay’s Journey

After high school, Tay found herself going in the wrong direction. “I remember someone once told me I was a product of my environment, coming from a long line of system-impacted individuals, and I was offended,” Tay recalls. However, she would later go on to grasp the meaning of that statement when she discovered that she had a lack of resources and options and made some bad decisions landing her in prison for 40 months.

After her release from incarceration, she found that re-entering her community came with many challenges and barriers to her success. Tay was faced with housing uncertainty, no financial stability, little to no support, and lack of resources in her native town. Despite her struggles, Tay shared, “I held onto the VISION that I was not going to be a statistic of the federal recidivism rate. I made it my passion to be the resource for all those that come after me and those before me.”

Job-Readiness Training
While living in a Federal residential reentry program in Tacoma after her release, Tay learned about Pioneer’s job-readiness training program and decided to take full advantage of it. She woke up very early Monday through Friday to catch the 5 AM bus from Tacoma to Seattle to engage in the program. It was a big surprise for Tay to walk into the class and see Ms. Dawson, the instructor of the program, who had also been Tay’s grade school teacher in Tacoma years before.  

Tay said, “In the program, I had an immediate connection with Ms. Dawson. I learned about second chance hiring and employment, communications with employers and how to speak about my past. I was able to explore embracing my community, career options and what direction I wanted to focus on also. During mock interviews, I got the chance to interview with management figures that started the process of building up my confidence. Pioneer’s support and guidance was instrumental.”

Building a Career on Her Passion
Taya went on to work worked in various positions as a property and storage manager, and continued to build her confidence and her skill sets. However, in 2023, she made a bold decision with her partner Jazz, and with just a credit card in hand the two the two of them founded a local nonprofit called, Leveled Up Reentry.

Tay stated, “It was time! After having so many conversations over the years with many other justice-involved individuals having to face the same fears and challenges I did when released from incarceration, it was time to do something about it in my native community. I formed Leveled Up Reentry focusing on providing civic life skills to BIPOC system impacted individuals preparing to return to a free society. Our program stands out as we are a community of presently and formerly incarcerated individuals with lived experience who are subject matter experts in pre and post release- readiness.”

Through her programs within Leveled Up Reentry to include:

  • New Move – Workforce development and employment training initiative for industries including construction and hospitality
  • Leveled Up WORKS –  Social enterprise where individuals can learn/train on the job
  • Pathway Trainings – Focuses on civic engagement, life skills and financial empowerment

Kurt Meyers, Reentry Program Manager, Washington State Department of Commerce (and former Pioneer job-readiness training graduate and employee), added, “Tay’s accomplishments exemplify reentry excellence! Since completing Pioneer’s job-readiness training program, she has achieved notable personal and professional milestones.”

Tay concluded, “We provide holistic support designed to meet people where they are at and help them move forward. It is our focus to assist other individuals’ liberation and our steadfast resolve to break down systematic barriers of recidivism. Our vision for Leveled Up Reentry was not just about rebuilding lives, but about reclaiming agency, restoring dignity and fostering a sense of liberation that transcends boundaries and transforms lives.”

All of us at Pioneer are very proud of Tay’s accomplishments and look forward to hearing more news in the future.