Experiencing some of ‘life’s hurdles’ helps children become successful, Crittle on book ‘Raising a Winner: The Grow & Go Theory’

Jacqueleen T. Crittle, recently named an "Outstanding Honoree" by The Suburban Marquee, has devoted her time and energy to helping young people succeed.

"If you can touch just one life, you would have made an impact," she told The Suburban Marquee. "I'm here for the long haul as long as God sees fit for me to do more, want more and be more to help others reach their goals."

She launched a nonprofit organization in South Cook County to help high school students.

"It supports high school students with career and college planning, internships, mentoring and public speaking training and financial services," she said. "We offer ACT and SAT preparation and entrepreneurship training along with college touring."

She is herself an entrepreneur.

"I've been an entrepreneur and [a] brick-and-mortar business owner in the suburbs since back in 2013," she said. "My first business was called The Bookworm Academic and Fine Arts Facility. Over 400 students participated in four satellite school programs. This laid the foundation for my work supporting young people."

While helping students and being an entrepreneur, Crittle found time to write a book, "Raising a Winner: The Grow & Go Theory."

She describes the work as "a parenting guide to successfully navigating some of life's most challenging circumstances."

It is a guide that "walks you through real-life scenarios in an effort to enhance your knowledge of parenting" and is based on her Grow and Go concept.

"The theory resonates in the fact that children must experience some of the life's hurdles in order to successfully be able to grow up and prosper," she said.

She even developed a "Grow and Go" network app that offers executive mentoring and career coaching and access to hundreds of the world's top thought leaders.