Jennifer Robertz is a Lansing resident who has been attending Thornton Township Board meetings. The text below is the public comment she made during the August 20 regular meeting of the Board.

My name is Jennifer Robertz.

When I was a child, from the ages of 9-11 I was sexually molested by close family members. I was made to believe that if I said something no one would believe me. I became silent, my voice lost in a sea of depression. I experienced low self esteem and loss of identity. I became unsure of who I was or who I would become.

When I became a mother of a beautiful girl, I vowed that what happened to me will never happen to her — but unfortunately, as a single working mom, I could not protect her from the generational curse that plagued my family.