Janiris De Jesus was born and raised in Washington Heights. She attended SUNY New Paltz, where she majored in Black studies and minored in Spanish. Janiris has held various roles since she first started working at the JCC in 2014. Janiris has been an after-school counselor, a head counselor at Pearl River and has taught 2s Together and My Little Clubhouse. Janiris currently attends Fordham University where she is getting her Masters in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education.