NATCHEZ — Ieisha M. Queen was 21 when her mother, Shelda, died of lung cancer in February 2015.

Her father, Gregory D. Thomas, had died almost exactly 11 years earlier after an asthma attack.

“When it hit me, I was just lost,” Ieisha said. “I felt like I had nobody to turn to, and nobody understood. I couldn’t believe it. It took me a whole month to realize my momma was really gone.”

As the oldest of her three sisters, the responsibility of caring for her family fell hard at her feet.

Since their mother’s death, Ieisha’s sisters, Trenesha T. Queen, 18, and Jerolisha O. Queen, 19, have lived with her in Fayette.

“I’m the oldest, so everything, all the responsibility is on me,” she said. “It’s a lot of pressure.”

Ieisha was studying agriculture at Alcorn State University at the time of her mother’s death. She commuted to Lorman for classes, while she and her sisters took care of each other. Ieisha and Jerolisha graduated from Jefferson County High School, and Trenesha will graduate this year.

Ieisha graduated from ASU Saturday with honors.

In the little more than a year since their mother died, the sisters say they found their footing again.

It wasn’t without help, though.

The sisters have found a surrogate mother in Chantel Marsaw of Natchez and are members of Marsaw’s It Takes a Village program.

When the sisters needed a computer and Internet connection to do homework, Marsaw offered her own. When Jerolisha was on the hunt for a job, Marsaw passed along job applications and helped her get hired.

It Takes a Village supports area children who have lost a parent or sibling by providing emotional support as well as financial support for school supplies and other needs.

The program began in 2013 when one of Marsaw’s daughters came to her asking if Marsaw could do anything for her daughter’s fellow classmates graduating Natchez High School without parents.

At first, Marsaw thought a home-cooked meal would be a nice offering to the students.

“But the more I thought about it and prayed about it, I thought, ‘Why don’t I present them with plaques?’” Marsaw said.

Marsaw had statuettes made engraved with the student’s name and in honor of the person they had lost.

But Marsaw’s support didn’t stop there.

“We started with 19 kids in 2013, and now I have 300 kids from the public and private schools in Natchez and Jefferson, Franklin and Wilkinson counties,” she said.

Marsaw concentrates her efforts on making sure the students are equipped to be successful in school.

“I want to make sure they are keeping their grades up and that they have everything they need — uniforms, school supplies. I don’t want anything to stop them from going to school.”

It Takes a Village is funded by donations and is a 501(c)(3). Marsaw was able to get the nonprofit started and her solicitation papers in order with the help of a professor. Marsaw is studying business at Alcorn.

“My professor made it my homework to get everything in order,” she said. “I did the rest of my assignments, but he added that so I could those documents in order.”

Marsaw said she has been advised to set a cut-off point for children she accepts into the program.

“I can’t do that,” she said. “I can’t turn away a child in need. Some of these kids, they’ve seen their parents die right in front of them. I can’t turn them away. The only thing that scares me is if I would have to turn them away because we didn’t have funding.”

Marsaw’s next objective is to open a community center for It Takes a Village.

“I have kids who tell me their family members have not reached out to them like we have,” she said. “Imagine if I had a whole building of people to do the work to reach these kids.”

In the community center, Marsaw would like to have a laundry, computer area and kitchen.

“I don’t want kids coming to me and saying, “I didn’t have clean clothes, so I couldn’t go to school,’ or ‘I didn’t have any help with my homework, so I didn’t turn it in.’” she said. “I want to make sure they have everything they need.”

For now, Marsaw will continue her work to ensure her students reach their potential. She currently has students at Alcorn, Jackson State University, Copiah-Lincoln Community College, the University of Southern Mississippi and other colleges, as well as a few in the military.

“I always tell them to never give up,” Marsaw said. “Someone is always watching. You always have cheerleaders. Even though you may not always see us, we’re always here rooting for you to succeed.”

That support system has been a reason the Queen sisters have found their way.

Ieisha has job offers from Tyson Foods and companies across the country. Jerolisha is on the Corrections Corporation of America staff at the Adams County Correctional Center. Trenesha is set to attend Alcorn when she graduates high school this year. She will play trombone in Alcorn’s marching band.

Their parents can never be replaced, but the Queen sisters each say they find comfort in knowing someone is always watching their back.

“There’s nothing like have your momma or daddy there with you,” Ieisha said. “I feel like I have found my feet again, but I still need my support system. I need (Chantel), and I need my sisters saying ‘Girl, you can do it.’ They keep me going.”

The sisters say Marsaw will always have a special place in their hearts.

“We just want to thank her for everything,” Jerolisha said. “We appreciate all she has done.”

“And we love her very much,” Trenesha said.