When I was 15 years old, my brother and I became wards of the court and were placed into a Marin County Foster home. We had to move to a new town, switch to a new high school and make all new friends. Luckily we had amazing people to support us through the transition and serve as our family while we prepared for college and adulthood. In May, I graduated from Lewis and Clark College with a degree in Psychology. I will begin working in September towards my MSW at Columbia University in New York City. I have been working towards my goal of becoming a social worker for many years. I am so grateful that I had the support of so many people in my community who knew I was just as capable as any other teenager.
Another reason I was able to achieve so much success is that I was able to stay in the same homes as my brother. This year, my brother and I are hoping to create more awareness of the need for new qualified foster parents in Marin County. Marin needs foster parents who are willing to have long term relationships with kids even after they move or go to college. Resource families that are capable of loving a foster child as if they are their own, believe in their abilities to succeed academically and are willing to support them in maintaining relationships with siblings and other family members.