"I've learned that I'm way stronger than I thought I was," she tells PEOPLE. "I knew I was a tough cookie, but once you go through a couple of trials and tribulations, you realize you build more character."
The 28-year-old just passed the one-year anniversary of her time on Love Island USA season 6, an experience that launched her -- and her castmates -- into instant stardom.
The Peacock series drew so many viewers who were devoted to the season 6 contestants that the islanders reunited to star on a first-of-its-kind spinoff series, Love Island: Beyond the Villa, which premiered in July.
The show (airing Thursdays on Peacock) brought the group back together for the first time since living in the villa in Fiji. As cameras rolled during their summer in Los Angeles, viewers got to see the magic of this group's dynamic as they navigated relationships outside the villa, came face-to-face with their exes for the first time and showed just how deep their bond really is.
Through it all, JaNa became a fan favorite -- alongside her two best friends Leah Kateb and Serena Page, a.k.a. the "Power Puff Gang" (PPG) -- and not a day goes by that she doesn't speak to them. "We're on FaceTime every day," JaNa says. In fact, the first thing she has to do after her interview is to hop on their "daily call."
"I ride hard for them. It's not even a friendship; it's a straight sisterhood at this point," she says.
It only makes sense that she's navigating life so closely with them -- they've been through something not many others have. They had to come home to a social media firestorm after Love Island last year (where contestants famously don't have their phones while filming) and navigate how their on-screen relationships work in the real world.
"I don't think I could have gone through anything that I've been through this past year without them," she says.
Leah, Serena and her cast members, Kordell Beckham, Miguel Harichi, Liv Walker, Kaylor Martin and Kendall Washington have been her support system when she had to endure the biggest change since her time post-show. On July 28, news broke that JaNa's nearly year-long relationship with Kenny Rodriguez, whom she met on Love Island, ended. They had come in third in the finale.
She later released a statement confirming her split from the 25-year-old, as she told her 2.7 million followers that "none" of their theories on the breakup "have matched up to how terrible, disgusting and disappointing it truly is."
The one thing JaNa wants to assure fans though: "I've gotten the closure I need."
She credits her resilience to being "an extremely positive person" and "practicing gratitude" every day.
"When bad things do happen, I just reflect," she says. "Self-reflection is very, very important. I think people should do it all the time. I analyze the situation for myself, I just talk it out to myself. I pray on it. I talk to God about it, and then I just literally move on. I'm really, really good at moving on."
She adds, "It's honestly my biggest flex if I'm being honest. I just continue to practice gratitude. It didn't kill me. I am still here. God is good. Life is good, so it's like: girl, I'm fine. I'm fine."
How fine you ask? "I don't want to waste my breath on him, if I'm being so honest," she says of the breakup. "I thought it was a good relationship. But it wasn't, and that's fine."
If anyone's wondering -- yes, she's seen fans pointing out red flags in her relationship, which have come under a microscope with each new episode of Beyond the Villa (which also stars Kenny). "I hate that people online are telling me that," she says.
"I just feel like, when someone has a hidden agenda, they're going to come off as genuine as possible to reach their goal. The red flags that people saw, I didn't see," JaNa says. "People are like, 'You missed so many things.' I'm like, 'But I didn't.' Because no one's perfect. No couple's perfect. There are situations where we forgave each other as you would do in a relationship. It gets frustrating, but it's OK. Life goes on."
She assures fans she's "already healed."
"It was so dark - the past. I don't like talking about it anymore," she says. "I've moved on. I've gotten the closure I need. I don't really like to dwell on the past. There's no benefit of doing so."
She continues, "I've learned that I'm way stronger than I thought I was. I knew I was a tough cookie, but once you go through a couple of trials and tribulations, you realize you build more character. I'm stronger than I think."
All she's focused on right now is her "very bright future," which she hopes includes the launch of a "really exciting business."
"I love staying busy," JaNa admits."I just wake up and show up."
Her main goal though, is to earn enough to give back in a big way.
"I've always really wanted the dream of having seven streams of income, so several businesses, just so that I could become a philanthropist and give it all away," JaNa says."So I see myself donating a lot, specifically libraries.And for some reason, God told me toilets and bathrooms...infrastructure like that.Hopefully hospitals as well,but I just like to work really hard to give it all away because you can't take it when you go."
If she eventually gets some down time, she's going to spend it with her "soulmates," Leah and Serena. "We've been planning a trip for the past 365 days now, so maybe we'll actually go on a trip now."
They're still working on the destination, but are thinking Bora Bora or the Maldives. "We should throw a dart at the map -- and hope it doesn't land in the ocean -- and then just go from there," she says with a laugh.
Whatever happens next in life, love and career, she knows her fans are along for the ride -- and she couldn't be more grateful.
"I don't think I've ever been drowned in so much love and support," she says."I just want to thank my supporters,everyone that has been riding for me since day one.I cannot let America down.I keep on striving hard,I keep on working hard just to show my gratitude to them."
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She adds."I just feel like the whole country just gave me a big hug after all I've been through these past few weeks and I can't thank them enough.I've never felt so much love.My family and my friends,they're there for me always.But everyone that's followed me,even the ones that don't follow me,but still love and support me,I am so,s o grateful and I just want to let them know I'm not going to let you guys down."
She adds."I just feel like the whole country just gave me a big hug after all I've been through these past few weeks and I can't thank them enough.I've never felt so much love.My family and my friends,they're there for me always.But everyone that's followed me,e ven the ones that don't follow me,but still love and support me,I am so,s o grateful and I just want to let them know I'm not going to let you guys down."