Idania Ettienne was born in New Jersey and raised in Tampa, Florida. A graduate of Chamberlain High School and the MacFarlane Park Teen Parenting Program, she ultimately earned her diploma from Hillsborough High School. From a young age, Idania dreamed of becoming a physician. At just 14 years old, however, her life took an unexpected turn when she became a mother. Rather than allowing her circumstances to define her future, she accepted responsibility for her choices and remained steadfast in her commitment to building a better life for herself and her family.
Determined to create stability through education and hard work, Idania earned her Associate of Science in Nursing from Hillsborough Community College and began her career at Tampa General Hospital as a Burn Intensive Care Unit nurse. Working in one of the most demanding environments in healthcare, she developed resilience, critical thinking, precision, and disciplined clinical judgment. Her passion for serving others and commitment to lifelong learning ultimately led her to become a Nurse Practitioner.
Throughout her career, Idania witnessed firsthand how a single obstacle can dramatically alter the course of a person’s life. Whether the barrier is financial hardship, transportation, or access to essential resources, she understands that opportunity often depends on having the means to reach it.
Along the way, she met her husband, Collin Ettienne, owner of R.I. Automotive, a seasoned automotive technician, and retired firefighter. Together, they recognized that their combined experience uniquely positioned them to address one of the most overlooked challenges facing individuals and families: access to reliable transportation. While Collin brought decades of automotive expertise and a lifelong commitment to public service, Idania contributed her experience in healthcare, organizational leadership, and process improvement, helping strengthen the operational foundation of their family-owned business.
Together, they founded Pass It Forward Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring donated vehicles and transforming them into opportunities for individuals working toward self-sufficiency.
Pass It Forward was born from lived experience. Idania understands what it means to overcome adversity, balance competing responsibilities, and persevere despite limited resources. She also understands that reliable transportation can determine whether someone keeps a job, attends school, accesses healthcare, escapes an unsafe environment, or provides stability for their family.
Today, Pass It Forward restores and redistributes donated vehicles to carefully selected recipients—including single parents, survivors of domestic violence, displaced homemakers, veterans, and youth aging out of foster care—who are committed to rebuilding their lives but lack dependable transportation. Every recipient also participates in automotive education focused on vehicle maintenance, safety, and responsible ownership, reinforcing the organization’s belief that empowerment extends beyond receiving a vehicle.
Under Idania’s leadership, Pass It Forward is built on the principles of dignity, accountability, stewardship, and community. The organization views every donated vehicle not simply as transportation, but as a pathway to employment, education, independence, and hope.
Idania’s journey is a testament to the power of perseverance and purpose. Her story reminds us that circumstances do not determine destiny—and through Pass It Forward Foundation, she is helping ensure that reliable transportation is no longer the barrier standing between someone’s present challenges and their future possibilities.
