I remember being 5 or 6 years old, sitting around my kitchen table with a bunch of adults I didn't know, knowing that they were all talking about me. It was the start of a foster care journey marked by instability and tragedy. I was separated from my siblings. My mom passed away. My older sister passed away.
I recall looking up at a billboard when I was 9 years old, wishing I could put my name and number on there so that people who needed help or someone to talk to, could reach out to me for support.
I have that chance now. As a director at nonprofit, Bloom Our Youth, I work with young adults transitioning out of foster care to ensure they have stable housing and the resources they need to pursue their goals. For many people, attending college as a young adult is an assumed next step - but when you don’t have a stable home or a family to help with life’s logistics, things most people take for granted can become real barriers. Barriers that others may take for granted can become major obstacles: What happens if you can’t list an address because you’re unhoused? Or if you can’t access your high school records because you changed schools multiple times?
When I support youth who have experienced foster care as they navigate these systems, there’s a shared trust between us - I’ve lived many of the same challenges. And in an unexpected way, returning to the system from the other side has been healing for me as well.
I recall looking up at a billboard when I was 9 years old, wishing I could put my name and number on there so that people who needed help or someone to talk to, could reach out to me for support.
I have that chance now. As a director at nonprofit, Bloom Our Youth, I work with young adults transitioning out of foster care to ensure they have stable housing and the resources they need to pursue their goals. For many people, attending college as a young adult is an assumed next step - but when you don’t have a stable home or a family to help with life’s logistics, things most people take for granted can become real barriers. Barriers that others may take for granted can become major obstacles: What happens if you can’t list an address because you’re unhoused? Or if you can’t access your high school records because you changed schools multiple times?
When I support youth who have experienced foster care as they navigate these systems, there’s a shared trust between us - I’ve lived many of the same challenges. And in an unexpected way, returning to the system from the other side has been healing for me as well.