Have you ever been so overwhelmed with joy you just start dancing?
Well, that is exactly what happened to 21-year-old Kayallah Jones who, up until October 2020, had been homeless for two years.
She was so happy her interview went well that she started two-stepping in the parking lot!
Kayallah was exiting a job interview at a local restaurant in Decatur, Georgia called The Spot when she was secretly recorded on a security camera.
The hiring manager, Dakara Spence, saw Kayallah’s happy dance and loved her energetic celebration on top of what was already a good interview.
After experiencing Kayallah’s positive energy, Dakara hired her on the spot.
She called Kayallah immediately and told her the great news!
Dakara told several news outlets, including NBC News, that she really fell in love with Kayallah’s infectious personality and saw a lot of herself in her. She said that she had been homeless before and she knew how hard it was when you don’t have the “right” attire for job interviews.
Since she had overcome her own circumstances, she wanted to pay it forward and help another person in a similar circumstance.
Thankfully, meeting Kayallah gave her the chance to do so!
Kayallah told NBC News that she was “going through it.” She said that she was suffering from depression, anxiety, and was fighting issues with mental health. When she was told by Dakara that she did well in the interview just by being herself, she was so overcome with happiness that she had to dance:
“I was excited. When I got outside, I didn’t know that the cameras caught me.”
In the wake of this global pandemic, this story is especially touching.
According to Pew Research, 25 percent of Americans have one person in their household who has lost their job, and 15 percent said they personally experienced job loss. The hospitality sector was one of the industries that got hit the hardest and it has not fully recovered. Even against those odds, Kayallah still applied and landed herself a waitressing job!
Since the initial interview, the two have become friends—and they even appeared on Ellen together.
On the show, they gave very touching advice that everyone ought to live by in this day and age.
As Kayallah said:
“Even though one goes through hard times, it doesn’t mean you can give up. You can still dance your way through life and act like no one is watching, and I promise you, someone is… and you can be ok.”
Beyond that, Dakara explained how important it was not to judge others without knowing what they are going through—because sometimes, the person who needs the benefit of the doubt is you.
Both mantras are particularly important during the Covid-19 pandemic, where any person in any circumstance could struggle to find work or support that they need.
Hearing Dakara and Kayallah’s story inspires us to do more good in the world.
We all need to keep “dancing our way through life,” no matter the circumstances. Every so often, we might even run into someone else with the same attitude—and there’s no telling where it can take us. Congratulations to Kayallah on the new job and to Dakara on her new friendship!
To hear their entire touching story, click on the video link below:
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
