My name is Rania Jenkins and I am Lebanese. I’m a salon owner and Master stylist at Rania's Hair Salon in Rocky River. I also own and operate RTJ Investments, a real estate business that buys, renovates and sells old houses. I was born in Lebanon and moved to the USA with my family when I was 13 to escape the civil war. I went to Salem High School in Massachusetts and I was the only Arab girl there. No one knew where I was from so you can imagine how difficult that was. I had to adjust to learning a new language, to familiarize myself with what I thought was a strange way of life at the time and to make new friends who were different. After high school, we moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where I pursued a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Cleveland State University and then a Master's degree in Forensic Psychology from Argosy University.
I look up to my mom and dad for making sacrifices and deciding to bring me here to give me a better chance, an opportunity to succeed and become the person I am today. I will forever be grateful to them. They decided to leave everything behind, bring us to an unknown land with an unfamiliar culture and way of life. Growing up here wasn't easy and to be honest, I wasn't always proud about my heritage. My main concern as a teenager was to blend in, to assimilate, and feel like everyone else. Not today! Today I am proud, and I have been proud for some time now. Our sense of family and community is unparallel. Our generosity and hospitality have no limits. We are kind, loving, giving, and hardworking. I am a diehard Cleveland fan. I love this city and I love that we have one of the best Arab American communities in the world in my opinion. I feel truly blessed and I am thankful for my success by the grace of God. Success does not happen without hard work, dedication, kindness and coexistence. Stay humble and never forget where you're from. Give back and give thanks when you can. One of my favorite quotes is "beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart" - Khalil Gibran.