Janice Robinson

Janice Robinson arrived at Girlstown in 1973. At the time, she was very interested in modeling. “Girlstown paid for my first photographs so that I could model,” she said. “I did a lot of modeling while I was there.”

Janice credits that seemingly insignificant opportunity with leading her into a career path that has helped her achieve success not just in modeling, but in acting and singing, as well.

After leaving Girlstown in 1976, Janice lived on her own, making ends meet by singing in a band, modeling and performing in television commercials. In 1989, she moved to California to fulfill her dream of a career in Hollywood.

Since that time, Janice has worked in the television and feature film industries, including stand-in and stunt work, and some principle work on television shows such as General Hospital, Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, Sliders, the CBS production of The Streetcar Named Desire, and most recently Any Day Now, a Lifetime network series starring Annie Potts. A few of the feature films she worked on include Love and Basketball, Dangerous Minds, Star Trek First Contact, Lethal Weapon 4 and Get Shorty.

Janice was born in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. Prior to coming to Girlstown, she lived with her mother and sister in the Dallas area. “Mom never told me she was bringing me here (to Girlstown,” she said. Although the shock of moving to West Texas made her nervous, Janice decided to make the best of her opportunity. “I started seeing that there were possibilities,” she said. The staff also showed her the support and guidance she needed. “The were the first to show me unconditional love,” she said. “I got to see examples of what families are supposed to be like.”

Janice got involved in all areas of campus and school life. She learned by doing. “I learned how to drive in Whiteface. I started cooking. And I learned how to stand up for myself. It made me strong,” she said. Girlstown also helped her spiritually. “I don’t think I ever would have stepped into a church if not for Girlstown,” she said.

Janice considers Girlstown her home. “That place is nothing but good memories. Whenever I get down in the dumps, I come back home,” she said. “My best friend for life lives in Lubbock.”

Janice has recently returned to California after spending almost a year in Virginia to be nearer to family. She plans to start a personal chef service using her cooking skills. She also wants to begin the process of finding acting work again. But most importantly, Janice is ready to be close to her daughter, Kiara, again. Kiara attends college in the Pasadena-area.

“If not for Girlstown I’d be dead,” she told several Girlstown residents during a recent visit to the campus. “My mother wasn’t interested in being a mother. I knew if I stayed there, I wouldn’t go anywhere. I was lucky because I got to come to Girlstown.”