Savannah reflects on her biggest challenge she faced in foster care, herself. Growing up without someone teaching you what is right from wrong was ultimately the hardest thing she had trouble with. Trying to grow up too fast wanting to do adult things. Hanging around the wrong people because she wanted to feel accepted anywhere and everywhere. She learned and overcame that obstacle through her transitional living program "Aspiranet" she had weekly visits with a therapist and learned how to budget. Came across Tracey Rolfe who was the director. She overcame herself and grew up and became who she is today because of a person who never gave up on her even when she felt like life was over It gave her hope and showed her what love felt.

“I was not perfect , I was very naive growing up, I learned my lessons with my overall experience transitioning into an adult..”

“ The most difficult time of being in foster care was thinking no one wanted you..”

Savannah speaks on how she wish people understood she was not perfect , she was very naive growing up, she learned her lessons with her overall experience transitioning into an adult. She would like to see program housing staff teaching budgeting more, making sure the clothing allowance was given monthly, In her experience she had information given to her from a therapist about her brother that was supposed to be kept confidential. Overall her experience with the foster care system good.

She think the general public Donate food , hygiene products, make time for mentorship, and volunteer for foster youth events. Anything makes a difference for the youth. Inviting them even just to church can turn someones life around. Her advice for those experiencing foster care like herself is:

“If it's too good to be true, it is!! Nothing good is easy.!”

She needed most when emancipating out the system was guidance on what to do next. She felt like once she turned 18 her social worker cut her off fast and wanted to just everything over with. It would have been helpful to have them and be sure someone is stable enough to live and give resources at the time or numbers to contact.

Looking back through her experience in foster care she proud of herself for not dropping out of high school , and for not giving up on college even when her GPA was bad. The comfort she felt the most in foster care was going to Bible study with people in the community that wanted to make an impact. Being introduced to jesus started many of her changes in her life.

The biggest challenge that Brandy faced in foster care was creating lasting healthy relationships. She have a lot of unresolved trauma from the foster care system that, she feel made her more susceptible to hanging with people who are not the best influences. She dealt with drug and alcohol abuse in the past. She sometimes get desperate to have connections with people and don't put herself first. She even went through DV/SA which led to her losing everything and having to go to court, but it was a huge source of reflection for her and caused her to know that she need to make changes. She’s still working on creating healthier relationships for herself but she feel like being more self-aware and going to therapy is helping her to make this change in her life. She knew there was nothing she could do, but behave and pray for the best. She read the book "A Child Called It" that inspired her not to give up.

The most difficult part she faced in and out the system is and has always has been the lack of stability in all aspects of her life. She’s been through a lot of moments where she didn’t know what her housing situation will be, and she’s unsure about a lot of her relationships with other people. It's caused a lot of anxiety, even in her adult life, about what will come next for her. But she feel more confident now that she know as long as she work hard and try her best to be a good person, others will notice and things will eventually work out despite the hurdles and barriers.

empathy is not often given to former foster youth. We have a lot more to figure out and confront within ourselves and it's not reasonable to think we will have overcome our traumas and figured everything out by 21.The holidays were sad for her because her and her sister were treated differently from their foster parents own kids. Not being with her siblings and mom or being able to them was hurtful and devastating.

Brandy states the age for transitional-aged youth needs to be 18-30. People often understand if 28 year olds need to live at home, or if people don't know what they want to do at 18, Most people without trauma don't even have their identity, career, and housing figured out until their 30s so she feel making services more widely available would greatly impact the outcomes of former foster youth.

Something that brought her comfort while she was in care (and even today) was having an ESA.

She says, “Emotional support animals really help foster youth in a lot of ways. We get a sense of responsibility, we have something to live for when times get extremely tough, and we get to feel loved and connected to an animal. It makes it easier to deal with all the issues when we know we can rely on our pets for comfort and love, even at times when we feel everyone else is unreliable.”

While she was in foster care, she says the general public could have and can help by informing those around them about the system and not using stereotypes and stigma to guide their judgments of former foster youth. When she was a younger student, the comments and micro aggressions would often discourage her, and even if you don't mean any harm by it, knowing that your words truly do leave lasting impressions is very important.

I would love to explore going to graduate school and starting my own non-profit to give shelter pets at risk for euthanasia to incarcerated persons. It would not only allow me to work with animals but marginalized communities who made mistakes or tried to survive and found themselves arrested. I'm also exploring other ways I can get involved with prison reform and the justice system in a way that benefits incarcerated persons...

Brandy often just took holidays as days off since she spent a lot of time on her studies, extracurriculars, and work. In extended foster care, she often secluded herself from others, even if her friends invited her to be with their families because it was emotionally draining to witness other people having something she would never have with her own family. She did make an effort to celebrate Mexican holidays but she also often celebrated them alone since she was not around many other Latinx people.

When she was emancipating from the system, she struggled with housing and did not know of any of the resources until she was too old to receive them. She was also often recommended to pay eight hundred plus in rent but they had not listened to when she stated she couldn't afford to do so. She also feel it's important to give former foster the resources they need to live independently, as she thrive when living alone and have a lot of trauma from living with others in her various placements.

An accomplishment that makes her proud is last year when she was 25, she graduated with her associate's degree. It may seem small and insignificant too many but she had to overcome so many external and internal barriers to do so and now can always say she is one of the foster youth who graduated.

My favorite quote I thought about while in care was "Don't count the days, make the days count." This encouraged me to focus on what I was doing for myself and my future and work as hard as I could without focusing too much on what I couldn't control. It's easier said than done, but looking back I'm very happy.

Maria spent 6 years in the system, The biggest challenge she faced is she missed nearly a month of school due to transportation. Her absence in school made it more difficult to learn to the best of her abilities many of her teachers were concerned about her passing and suggested for her to drop the classes but she refused because she had already came too far. She over came this challenge by attending all office hours, asking questions, watching videos online on her free time at her foster home while taking extra classes. Her teacher praised her countless of her times for bringing in new perspectives and sharing about her experiences in a third word country her country, Haiti. What brought her comfort was knowing that she was not separated from her sister therefore she can watch over her in the foster home and support her every need.

“The thought of someone else taking care of her terrified me because I felt she would be misunderstood or mistreated unfairly..”

Maria most difficult part she faced being placed in the system twice is that she felt very isolated and alone. She never shared her situation with anyone not even her closest friends. Others viewed her as the girl who's always late or mentally ill based on her punk style but they didn't know about the traumatic experiences she’d endured and the reasons why she miss so much school. She would always be pulled out of classes to talk to her therapist and many students may have felt that it was unfair. She hated that she got " special " treatment so she felt more determined to never share about it and work hard.

Maria is most proud of her accomplishments and achievements in school. She graduated with a 3.2 which could've been higher if the circumstances were different. She played volleyball, track was active in many clubs like art club, women's empowerment club, manga club and created her own crochet club! She brought in all her materials for the students put the flyers, make the slides, make the yearbook page and even drew a huge mural to represent her club and her hard work. She was in leadership and made countless of posters, pitched in amazing ideas and gave countless of inspirational speeches to the underclass men. She was also a mentor to the underclassmen many of them looked up to her and her style. Her advice for those experiencing foster care like herself is:

“I would advice to them not give into temptation and focus on school. Ask questions make sure to pass all classes to avoid ged or dropping out.”

Maria says another piece of advice is to embrace your independence and don't rely on others heavily, don't fall into drugs or bad behavior because we only have ourselves and our lives depends on us. Most important advice is to focus on your mental health and healing. Don't let being a victim be your whole identity. In order to heal you must put in the time not by going to therapy alone but by doing research and taking notes/journaling your feelings and behaviors to find true peace and happiness.

Tanairi’s foster care journey began at an early age, she spent 13 years in the system. The biggest challenge was being treated as a paycheck . They have some homes that don’t take foster care kids in for the right reason .The difficult part was moving all the time . She had 13 different foster homes .

Tanairi found comfort in music while swinging on the playground. She listened to music until she dissociated. She used this as a coping mechanism .

“I moved to so many schools that I never really got a chance to make childhood friends.”

As an older sibling, Tanairi wish she knew and had support support for her and her brother. She felt the pressure understanding that some foster children need better assistance. Her brother has ADD and Autism and was never taken to a doctor . He barely passed school with a low GPA.

One of Tanairi’s major accomplishments was she aged out and signed up for the navy. She went from being taken care of in foster care to learning to take care of herself. Her favorite things to do are listen to podcast, She love saving up and traveling internationally.

Tanairi is an example of resilience in the face of adversity. She urges others to look at schools that aid in foster youth. Her advice for those experiencing foster care like herself is:

“Surround yourself with people that encourage you to be better.”

The thing she needed the most during her transitional period was a house Foundation. Many that age out result in being homeless. She see herself using her military education benefits and in two years. Graduating and working as a aircraft mechanic. Her goal in life is to fight for a better life then she was given.

Alexandra talks about her biggest challenge she faced in foster care. She speaks on learning to understand that as uncomfortable the situation was for her twin sister and her that it was never their fault.

Navigating the foster care system, one of the most difficult parts she faced in the foster care system was not getting to be with her parents, living with weird people.

" Foster youth should know ultimately they get to chose how everything has affected them."

She wish more people understood that the instability of bouncing around so much at a young age ,not being with her parents made her always feel alone. She would like to see more knowledge and acceptance in the community, more community support from all schools, cities, and even outings.

She speaks on the barriers she faced when it came to school and the foster care system. She wish her foster parents better supported and taught her how to deal with her issues better with out blaming for being in their space. Allow her and her sister to be included in activities with their family. Dealing with mental and physical health issues, due to so much stress. She wish she didn't feel so alone so she would’ve been able to reach out for help.

As she reflects on her foster care journey, she identifies comfort in reading and being able to visit her parents, She have always enjoyed walking and playing sports.

Her life in the foster care system the holidays could be difficult because they just wanted to be included but also with their own family. They didn’t just want supervised visit with their parents and foster parents, it was sad sometimes.
Looking back she is most proud of how they always pushed through, they didn’t have a choice. However, they still had some good times. She glad from the outside looking in they were just normal kids.

"They have the right to come out strong, with a Patrice mind that their past doesn’t have to affect their future.."

She envisions herself hopefully in her own apartment, close to her sisters , and taking care of her mom with a new car. Her goal in life is to be happy and free, in all aspects of her life. To be healthy and live for a long time, watch the generations of my family grow.

Madison spent one year in the system. Her biggest challenge in the foster care system was the fear of getting split up with her siblings. There was a point of time when her brother got placed in a different home and her and her sister had to fight for getting back home.

“Not every foster parent fosters out of kindness, but rather uses you for financial gain. There were many times my siblings and I got misplaced and treated differently than our foster parents' own child.”

Madison siblings were her comfort zone in foster care! They took care of each other and leaned on each other greatly. The holidays were rough. Her and her siblings had been placed in foster homes where the parents would try to make it better for them. However you really start to miss your own family around the holidays.

One thing she is most proud of is her perseverance. She has been in some of the toughest situations in life and always have an innate survival instinct to bounce back.

Madison is an example of what it is to over come the odds in the most difficult moments in life. She was always really good at school and remember hearing about the inequity of her situation. She never believed that she would be at a disadvantage academically, until she got into high school. She realized it was structured in a way that did not benefit children like her. She stopped going to school and if it wasn't for great academic mentors, she would not be in college today.

Her advice for those experiencing foster care like herself is:

“It is ok to miss your family, in fact it is biological. Understand that you do not owe anyone anything.”

There were so many times when she felt that foster families expected a certain amount of gratitude from her and her siblings .Please understand that you are allowed to be angry and upset. She see herself doing therapy, hopefully working with foster care children and helping them navigate their lives in the system. Her goal in life is to take my hardships and use them to inspire and influence the future generation of kids going through similar and different hardships.

“They think therapy would fix both parties but the memory is still there.”

Estephanie spent 3 years in the system. Growing up in the system she faced depression. Having to go to court appointments and visits with her mom while a social worker was there. Her mothers love never felt real, it felt more like an obligation, especially when there was someone there monitoring the visit. It was also hard to leave home and miss her mother or who she was before.   

While in care, what brought me comfort was I never had a cell phone before so having one was super great. I spent a lot of time in church and with family.”

Estephanie is proud of her emotional strength. She was always strengthened and never got into any trouble. Her advice for those experiencing foster care like herself is: 

“I would advice to always try your best, and do it for yourself. Build your future and fix your spending habits.” 

Estephanie says the most difficult part about being placed in foster care was Having to adapt to a new life. It feels very lonely. When friends used to ask her about her parents, she needed support. She felt as if she was just pushed into the real world. During this time of foster care. She focused all of her feelings and projected them at school. She always passed her classes. Sometimes she didn’t even know how she did it. She always focused in school and it was sort of a distraction for me. In 5 years she hope to have a stable career and to be financially stable.

Heysell talks about her biggest challenge she faced in foster care. She speaks on was telling her friends or just people around her that she was in foster care, because they would ask for an explanation as to why and It was really difficult to explain it without crying. She overcame this by going to therapy for 2 years. Being in foster care is not bad and you don't have to feel guilty that your situation is different than your friends because life is different for everyone. After learning about that she felt more confident to talk to people about my situation.

Navigating the foster care system, one of the most difficult parts she faced in the foster care system was was reliving her trauma every single time a social worker or someone came to see her. They would repeat everything, the first 4 months she relived every single time that someone came to her placement to talk about it. She wish people didn't judge her ,because they think that when she says she’s in foster care they think that she was the bad one and was doing things that she was not supposed to and that's why she got placed in foster care. She also wish people was more considerate and did not ask questions on why.

When she says she’s in foster care people think that she was the bad one and was doing things that she was not supposed to and that's why she got placed in foster care. She also wish people was more considerate and did not ask questions on why.

She states “ Something that brought me comfort was my favorite sport which is volleyball, I played volleyball everyday and played for my high school team for 3 years and it was a wonderful experience.

"Something that the Public can do is support foster youth who want to persuee a higher education, they can maybe donate clothes, school supplies, and other things that can help uplift the young fosters to go above and beyond.."

Unfortunately her foster parents are Salvadorian just like her, so the holidays were not much different from the ones she did, Her foster mom included all of them as if they were apart of her family and they would help her cook, and prepared the food, set up the tables. They played games and open presents all together. She made sure that they didn't feel left out.

She speaks on the barriers she faced when it came to school. While she was in high school, she did not have any problems at all, she was pretty organized and always prioritized for school, so she did not have a problem at all in high school. College she’s not too sure about or if she will have problems because she’s barely starting this fall 2024 but she do expect some things to be difficult.

As she reflects on her foster care journey, she identifies comfort and how therapy truly brought her comfort in the foster care system because it helped her realize that nothing was wrong with her and that everything can be ok.

As of the moment she haven't aged out of the foster system, but something that she would most likely need help with, she think it would be finding housing after she turn 21.

Looking back on her foster care experience she is most proud of going to college, and being able to be the first generation of her family to actually get accepted into college and try to pursue a higher education. She loves to play volleyball cook and try new recipes. Going to the beach and connect with nature, doing new things.

"To always take advantage of the many resources that can be offered to you, never give up because you think you don't have the opportunity to do it, life can be hard but there is always a way to succeed, never give up on your dreams.."

She envisions herself with her bachelor's degree working as Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and going to medical school for her Registered nurse degree. Becoming a Registered nurse, she wants to work in the delivery/NICU.

Aishanae talks about her biggest challenge she faced in foster care. Going to school was one of the biggest challenge she faced in the system. She was being moved around a lot. A lot of her credits started going missing. Senior year she had to go to a continuation school and was able to finish high school on time. She just missed out on things like prom and grad night. She wasn’t able to experience life as a senior.

Navigating the foster care system, one of the most difficult part she faced in the foster care system was being away from her siblings. They were all far apart and hardly got visitation with one another. At a certain age they stopped having visits all together.

She think the general public can have places where we can hang out, study, help find jobs that fit us even after we age out. We are still young and need help even after extended foster care. It feels like we have just been forgotten about.

"They could have actually cared about my education. I felt like I was fighting battles in my mind and real life. I felt like I was alone even when I really wasn't.."

She wishes people understood we are scared when first entering the system. She wish people would understand how hard we tried to fit in even though we never felt like we actually belonged. She would like to see more foster homes but not just any foster homes that treat us like we are their own children. Not like its a set schedule like we are in school.

She speaks on the barriers she faced when it came to school. The main thing that would have help her while obtaining her high school diploma was staying in one high school. She moved around so much it was hard to stay on topic and keep up with her credits.

As she reflects on her foster care journey, she identifies comfort and how her mentor helped her with getting into school and finding a job. She was also like a personal friend always there when she needed her. She could literally call for anything.

She is most proud of graduating high school. It was at one point in her life where she gave up because she had became overwhelmed with everything she was going through. Once she found out she was pregnant she wanted way more for her and her baby.

Her advice to those in foster care now is:

"I would tell them it gets better later. Ignore the world and stay on track you will be able to go wherever you want to in the world. This is just for now."

She envisions herself as a MRI graduate continuing her education while taking care of my two sons. She envisions herself in a beautiful home with a nice car. Not having to worry about how she’s going to pay her rent or bills. Her goal is to become and MRI Tech.

Ashlyn biggest challenge she faced in the system was the confusion of what was happening to her and why. While there were resources at her disposal, she was only 5 when she was put into the system so she had no capacity to understand why she was taken from her parents. There was very little she was informed of, and it led to her having a lot of anxiety as a child that she still carry with her today. She overcame these obstacles by first going to therapy and learning proper coping mechanisms and how to communicate and remedy her grief and anger.

“Being physically taken from your parents is a very traumatic thing to experience and it makes you question where you belong if even your own parents don’t want you.…”

As an child the most difficult part for her was finding her sense of belonging somewhere. She felt like there was a stigma that she should be ashamed to be a foster child and a child going to therapy; it made her feel like there was something wrong with her for a very long time.

One of Ashlyn’s major accomplishments was her being able to take all the negative and painful experiences she had in the past and turn it into her motivation to strive for success and happiness. She genuinely is doing really good and she can’t wait to see what her potential lives out to be.

Ashlyn is an example of what it means to have potential. Despite her time in the system, she didn’t let it determine her life overall. Her goal in life is to open her own physical therapy practice, run her own foster animal program off her own property, travel, and ultimately be happy. .

Her advice for those experiencing foster care like herself is:

“Be gentle and gracious with yourself. There’s nothing you could’ve done to prevent this outcome so don’t ever feel like a reject or ashamed because you’re a child of the system. Use it as your personal challenge to overcome, and imagine that day when you can say you succeeded against the adversity.”

In 5 years, she will have graduated with her bachelors and will be pursuing her Masters degree. She will probably be doing clinicals and working as a paramedic of some kind on the side. She hopes to have a partner and be thinking about her future family. She also hopes to have started saving money.

"Don't be mad at everyone it's not everyone’s fault that you are where you are look forward and don't let your past determine your future!."

Maria reflects on having to take care of her siblings she don't think she overcame it yet she was always supposed to be the adult instead of the child. What brought her comfort while in care was keeping in mind and having faith in god. She was comforted by reminding herself, “This too shall pass, God grant her the serenity to accept the things she cannot change the courage to change the things she can and the wisdom to know the difference this too shall pass. “

"They don't have to experience having their family taken away or put in a place where they know no one and a new school during the school year or Having to wear the same clothes every other day also waking up to just live another day."

She felt that when it came to some things she wished her foster parents had helped her with. She felt they should had their backs. They could've showed love and not put our parents down while they’re in court. Talking about their families behind their backs, she wish they would've kept in touch.

She would like to see more foster parents try and not give up on these kids and young adults. She feels to help foster youth the general public can donate books and school materials. Donate job interview clothes and a housing program that exceeds age 23. A mentor program that will stay available until aging out of the system.

When it comes to education she explains what it means for her. Education means a future and many different things to master in and make a career of her past life and become someone her daughter is proud to look at. She think growing up in the system it made it easier towards her education. For her to succeed in order to make something out of her life, for her to pass and move forward through the trauma.

An accomplishment she is most proud of is getting her high school diploma and being halfway through her bachelor program. In 5 years she see herself with her bachelor’s degree and maybe pursuing her master’s in san diego. Her goals in life is to just live, succeed and not give up.

Manuel reflects on his time in the system, His biggest challenge in foster care was defending himself while being in a foster home. His foster brothers would beat him up and his foster mom or dad would do nothing about it. He overcame it by starting to defend himself. Being away from his family, brothers and sisters for the first time ever was difficult for him. They were so close, so being separated was very hard on them all. Not being able to see them everyday brought him the most anxiety. He wish people understood his experience in the system.

“They don't have to worry about living with complete strangers let alone bounce around from school to school. That can be very hard on a young child.”

“ I needed guidance I needed my family all back together. I needed a roof over my head and transportation as well..”

Manuel states education means everything to him. He believe if he didn't go to a foster home or if he didn't get a chance to live with his uncle and auntie that he wouldn't have made it this far in life. His favorite things to do are to attend sports events and to visit amusement parks.

What brought him comfort while in care, he played several sports while in high school. He lettered in 4 sports throughout his high school career from football,basketball, to baseball, track and field. It took him away from being locked up (Foster home) so to speak. It made him forget about being away from his family. His advice for those experiencing foster care like himself is:

“To never give up no matter how tough life can be. Because even though you feel like you have nobody you actually do have someone.”

One accomplishment that he is most proud of, is graduating from high with a 3.6 GPA. In 5 years he see himself with a college diploma. He visions himself having his own business while owning a house and having a loving family. His goals in life is to become a social worker that's what he is going to college for currently. He loves helping others.

The biggest challenge that Roberta faced was experiencing exclusion, feeling unaccepted, and suffering through homelessness and poverty. One thing that has always kept her going is her faith. Many times she didn’t understand what she, or her twin sister was going through. Much emotion of anger, sadness, distress, anxiety, and fear usually was a common feeling. Although she didn't understand why they were being put through this. She trusted the process and from a very young age, she has always had a close connection and relationship with her high power in Jesus Christ.strangers. As a teenager, she committed herself to the church and she would spiritually fight for her family to end the destruction, and suffering they were all facing.

I felt a spiritual healing working in my family and then miracles started happening, my family and I were no longer homeless, and my sister and I were able to reunite and live with our parents.

The fact that she wasn’t home with family was depressing. What brought her comfort while in care was having a friend. Being in the system what helped her was having a single friend, a social worker, a life coach, and anyone else who was willing to listen to her and be there for her. When she was a child and as an adult, being in the system has had a profound impact on her. Making new friends at school or through the church or in my neighborhood was another thing that helped her deal with her situation.

Keep going, enjoy being a kid, or teenager, enjoy being you every day, only focus on what's in your control everything else let it be. One day you will have control over your future,start planning and preparing for where you want to be in the next 10 years and don’t lose vision of that sight.

When it comes to her successes and what makes her proud, This year alone makes her the most proud. She was awarded two prestigious scholarships this year by California State University, Long Beach's Journalism and Public Relations program. She also won in a raffle one whole free year of rent by one simple wish. She is thrilled within the next six months, she will have officially graduated from college and onto her next big chapter in life, and for that, She is so proud of herself and has made a huge accomplishment as she’s been working toward this goal for the last five years, since she was 18.

Roberta graduated from college in december. She see herself in the next five years being more established in her life, having nice things that she’s earned. Hopefully being on a big stage, and sharing her mission and personal stories with others. That will encourage, inspire, and power our rising generation that will have such a impact on society one day becoming the future. Where she’s right there in it all, apart of the change.

The biggest challenge that Monica faced in foster care was seeing her other siblings stay home while her sister and her got taken away because of their grandmother calling to get them removed. The way she overcame her challenge was by talking to her mother and social workers.

I knew there was nothing I could do, but behave and pray for the best. I read the book "A Child Called It" that inspired me not to give up.

Her younger sister battled with mental illness, she felt responsible for her and needed to step in and protect her, advocate for her because she didn't know how to express herself.

The trauma of being removed from your family to living with total strangers and having to go be moved from place to place . Not being with your loved ones.

The holidays were sad for her because her and her sister were treated differently from their foster parents own kids. Not being with her siblings and mom or being able to them was hurtful and devastating.

She wish her foster parents treated her and her sister equal to their own kids. She would have liked for her foster mom to allow them to visit their mother and siblings. She felt her foster mom could have paid attention more and supported her in her my games, when she joined the volleyball team.

Being in foster care was traumatic for her and her sister.

Something that brought her comfort while she was in foster care was had to be joining the afterschool program.

She says, “Having the coordinator and her staff supporting me and my sister while in their care was very meaningful..”

While in foster care, Monica was grateful to have a after school program cordonator Joanna . She always assured her of being smart and being a leader. She always directed her to the right path. She felt safe and loved when she was in her care. That had to be the only time she felt like a kid. Joining the volleyball team and reading the book "A child called “ It was inspiring was comforting for her.

She would like to the public to help foster kids by providing school supplies, school clothes and tutoring sessions. If kids had tutoring sessions it will guide them and direct them to further thier education..

Education to her means having financial freedom for her family and herself. The biggest factors is not giving up on your education. You can take brakes along the way as long as you continue until you succeed.

When she was emancipating from the system, she would have liked guidance and having a therapist. She had a lot of trauma and responsibility, she didn't know how to manage it or seek for help.

An accomplishment that makes her proud is returning to school to further her education and sticking to it. Especially being able to guide other former foster students and student parents .Being able to show them that it's possible with the right skills, tools and support system is an accomplishment for her . She also advocate for those that don't have a voice.

Her advice to those in the system now is: “Don't hesitate and go further your education. Follow your dreams and be successful in everything you do.

Trevor explains what it was like for him in foster care, the challenges he faced. Losing his family and growing up without them around. It was challenging for him, especially since after he became grown he lost contact with the family that had raised him through the years

“ Stay in school take all opportunities given to you don't miss out on your future the opportunities are endless.”

“ I wish people understood they experience failure and let us down sometimes it's almost like we don't have a chance or will never have a chance at having a regular life life most people but again it's all up to us and our choices.”

Trevor speaks on how difficult it was having to get to know the parents and other children in the home and learning to get along with them live with them and love them. Looking back he realized what brought him comfort then wasn’t the way it should have gone. All he needed was some love and affection, someone to talk to and understand where he was coming from. He started going to therapy.

He think the general public need more big brother programs somewhere kids can go to relate to others who had same experiences so they can relate and learn and grow from others mistakes or past. His advice for those experiencing foster care like himself is:

“Think before you destroy opportunities and always take every opportunity presented to you you never know where they might take you”

A lot of times, He just needed support from others to keep going and not give up on himself to pursuit his happiness. Support would be the number one thing he needed while emancipation process. His favorite thing to do is helping others be happy. His goals in life are to be happy and successful and to be able to help others in same situation he was in.

Hortencia recalls her time in the system and the challenges she faced. In the foster care system prior to being placed with her biological grandparents was unstable housing. Growing up in the foster care system, she never knew where her and her four siblings would end up. She was always worried because she didn't want to be separated from them. She was the oldest child of 5 and she felt that she had to care for them since her biological mother couldn't.

Navigating the foster care system, she went through alot emotionally when she was in foster care system. She often wondered why my siblings and she had to experience this. She would always ask herself if she was even loved by anyone because it almost felt like she was thrown out into the world to figure it out on her own. Yet, she wasn't even old enough to do so. All she knew is that she had to push through her struggles and help her siblings as much as she could. They were her purpose and she knew that one day all of pain she was going through would be over.

Reflecting on her experience, she shed light on the constant barriers she faced in the system and how it was for her transitioning.

" I honestly wish the people around me who knew my situation wouldn't be quick to judge."

She says, expressing frustration of being misunderstood, she was raised in a traditional household and people assumed that she would be a trouble kid . Things changed for her when she got with her grandmother after. Her grandmother did the most that she could at her age. Her grandmother was about 60 when her and her siblings moved in with her. She always attended any school activities she had and even would accompany her to her first few counselor meetings when she was in her first year of community college. She always was present and encouraging. Hortencia never felt alone when she ended up in her care.

In the realm of education, Her transition into community college was tough. She didn't know how to apply for colleges, what to expect, or even know how to pay for college. Luckily for her, her grandma had mentioned to one of the counselors at her high school that she had plans to attend community college but that no one in her family would be able to help her through that process. So, the counselor eventually found out that she was in the foster care system and she was able to provide her with as much resources as she could. Any college fairs/presentations that were happening locally she would find out of because of that counselor. She grateful for that because being a first-gen student with limited resources was difficult.

As she reflects on her foster care journey, she identifies comfort in activities. Spending time with siblings, going to high school football games, being in yearbook: capturing fun school events, being creative, and making friends.

She is most proud of the fact that she received a master's degree and she now working for a program that supports former foster youth in their transition into the university. She feel that she is able to relate and support students who share a similar background as her. Now, as a beacon of strength, she shares advice with those currently in foster care, emphasizing love and care.

"Never give up on your dreams and remember that everything you are going through is temporary. You are loved and there are people out there who truly care about your success."

Looking towards the future, Hortencia see’s herself purchasing her first home, advancing in her career and continue to support first-gen/former foster youth students). She envison herself starting a family of her own. She wants to be financially stable and to continue mentoring/helping those students in need.

Lidia speaks on the challenges she faced in the system since the age of 6. Reflecting on her time in care she always looked happy. With a huge smile on her face because she was really good at masking her true emotions. She was willing to put others first and prioritize how she could help the next person including her siblings who were also in foster care.

“I poured all my energy trying to invest in my education because I knew that was a "way out" school was always a safe space for me. I had friends who liked me, great teachers who cared for me and gave me the attention I desired. I kept that energy and focused on my studies and became involved in the foster care community.”

“Not having a childhood and worrying about where will I live next. Having to sleep in a room that you don't recognize and waking up feeling scared or confused because you're in a new room. Or "Will these people be nice or hurt me like the others have in the past? " I had a lot of anxiety about many things while in foster care.”

The most anxiety inducing part about being placed in foster care was living with strangers and having to adapt every time she moved. Also not knowing when she would be with her brother again. Her sister and her were placed together because their foster parents didn't want foster boys. She always felt the need to protect her siblings even though she is the middle child. Her advice for those experiencing foster care like herself is:

“Trust your instincts! You know what's best for you so believe in yourself!.”

Lidia feels proud of being a graduate. An accomplishment that makes her proud is working with foster youth now. She work with AB12 youth ages 18-21 and it is such a privilege for her to work in this field and have empathy towards youth in care.

Music helped her a lot (when she could listen to it) when she would hear music she would hear the stories that were told too. It allowed her to imagine and relate to many things like friendships, love and heartbreak and sometimes not know how to feel. She love to take care of her plants, go for a hike and go camping. She love good books to read too. In five years, she see herself having her Masters in Social Work and being a mom sooner than that!

"Stop treating us, like we were set up to fail, they can stop judging us and stop talking to us like we were meant to fail.."

Sky reflects on her years spent in foster care system. One of the biggest challenges she faced in the system was feeling like she had been punished for speaking up about my circumstances. She don’t mean to say the homes were all terrible but they were very strict, for example she felt like she couldn’t do high school/teenage activities because if she went then the whole group home had to go. High school for me was a privilege away from the group home that could be taken away because there was always continuation.

"I understand there is a thin line between what foster kids can and can't do in homes but sometimes we just need a car ride or a walk. I would like to see more effort and comforting for any foster youth who is already feeling so hurt and so lost.."

Sky would like to see she would like to see more effort and comforting for any foster youth who is already feeling so hurt and so lost. She would like to see less of being threatened by a 14 day hold because a child messes up. Knowledge yourself on what your getting into, we are not easy we are traumatized and scared so we act out of fear. We are not animals you can not just pick us out and when you realize that this is to much, just put us back. Do not lift are hopes if you have no intention of genuinely trying to work with us. Just be genuine patient, loving and intentional.

" Persevere through it all and defy those odds, do it with a smile on your face and with God backing you up."

When it comes to her experience with her foster parents,foster homes, and what she feel they could have done to better support her. She felt they didn’t understand that she had just come from a group home that was super restricted so when she got the freedom she did. she wanted to do a bunch of things. She wanted to try new things like going out with friends to games, etc .She also believe more effort to communicate, and understand each other is really important. She have to feel that decisions we make, as children we are held against her, but in some positions she just didn't know any better she was protecting herself in the best way that she knew how.

"Everything you don’t understand now you will understand later.."

God, was her first comfort zone. She have this little purple book by Joyce Meyers, and have scriptures based off of feelings that we're having and whenever she felt scared.She always read it, School was her second thing it got her away from the group home. It was somewhere where she actually felt normal sometimes. She had realized that through all her years of school, that her grades barely dropped because she loved being in school. It was the only thing that was stable throughout her life that had become so unstable.

She envision herself as a traveling nurse, who graduated from UCLA with her bachelors. She plan to heal, love and show genuineness that she wished she had received when she was in a time of struggle to all she patience. She will be very successful and stress free

She will be consistently going to church and singing for God because she love singing, In her churches choir right now.

Naz biggest challenge she faced in foster care was people doubting and obscuring her voice. She overcame it by educating herself in advocacy and how things worked. She also overcame it through self-reflection and mindfulness, understanding that people's actions and opinions do not define her and should not be of her concern..

Navigating the foster care system, one of the most difficult part she faced was the absence of a supportive network, which made navigating life incredibly difficult. Additionally, the instability inherent in foster care made it challenging to establish a sense of stability. Relationships play a significant role in shaping our lives, and the lack of security within these relationships often left me feeling isolated.

She explains how experiences and excursions brought her comfort while she was in foster care. Knowing that there was a world beyond her day-to-day struggles gave her hope that she could achieve anything she wanted. Exploring new places and trying new things provided a sense of adventure and possibility, reminding her that there were endless opportunities awaiting beyond her current circumstances.

"These experiences helped alleviate some of the stress and uncertainty of foster care, offering moments of joy and inspiration to keep me motivated and hopeful for the future.."

She wishes what people understood about her experience in foster care is that the challenge isn't about lack of education or intelligence among foster children. It's often about the difficulty in accessing and processing information due to the traumatic experiences we've endured.

In terms of changes within the foster care system, she would like to see foster children respected and valued. This could be achieved through policy changes that prioritize their voices and involvement in decision-making processes concerning their lives.

She speaks on the barriers she faced in foster care. As a student in foster care, she faced barriers like frequent moves and learning in a mixed-up order. This made it hard to keep up and draw conclusions in school. Despite this, She has managed fine because of her real-life experiences. Having consistent access to resources and support, along with understanding teachers, would have helped her succeed in school even more.

As she reflects on her foster care journey, she encourages others if you have a dream, start working towards it now. She wants them to know waiting only conditions you to delay. Which is makes it harder for you to achieve your goals. Remember, age is just an illusion; don't let it hold you back from pursuing your dreams.

She envision herself continuing to make a meaningful impact through various platforms. She see herself achieving her goal of being featured on NPR radio and other reputable platforms, using her voice to advocate for important issues. Additionally, She see her daughter thriving, living the life she’s always dreamed of providing for her.

"Don’t let people gaslight you. Know that there is a community out there ready to love and support you, even if it takes a bit of effort to find. Take advantage of every resource available to you and prioritize saving your money..."

Furthermore, she visualize herself delivering TED talks and creating content that resonates with and supports young people who are facing challenges similar to those she experienced in her youth. Overall, she see herself continuing to grow, inspire, and making a positive difference in the lives of others.

Brinton reflects on how hard it was his 7 years spent in the system. One of his biggest challenges faced in the system is believing that it will get better one day. He states “ It was difficult for me because when your in an environment like that, it consumes you”.

“You dont believe its a way out. You think you're going to live like that forever.”

“ I wish people understood that a lot of times, it isn’t our fault that we're in there.”

Brinton speaks on how difficult it was for him when it came to school. It was honestly hard to go to school and focus knowing where he had to go when he got out of school. His grades tanked at one point and he wasn’t going to graduate, but he had counselors who believe in him and that helped push me through.

He think the general public can donate things that will contribute to wellness of kids in foster care. Computers, headphones, passes to events. They really don’t know what peace or a good time is, these things will help. His advice for those experiencing foster care like himself is:

“Whatever you're experiencing now is building you up for your next life. You will look back one day and realize that what you went through is making you stronger. You got this!”

A lot of times, He just needed someone to talk to. He acted up and was violent and disobedient because he felt that was the only way to receive attention. He don’t know where he see himself in 5 years. He changing daily. He’s thinking different and doing different. He has to just see where he’s at in 5 years. Looking back on his foster care experience, He is most proud of the way he handled many situations. There were times he could have responded the wrong way and those reactions could have gotten him in a lot of trouble.