Foster Youth Scholarship Winners

living with addicted and unstable parents, violence and abuse and the feeling of being alone and terrified. One scholar named Janna told us her mother often did drugs right in front of her. Once Janna tried to hide her mom’s crack pipe, hoping that if her mother couldn’t find it, she might stop using drugs. Several winners had to work hard to avoid falling in with gangs, which was especially difficult as the gang members were often the friends they grew up with in their own neighborhood. Janna’s mother finally overcame her addictions, only to be a victim of a shooting, and while she survived, the physical pain brought her back into the world of drug addiction.

All these youth tried hard to survive in what seemed like a hopeless situation. Some were placed in as many as 11 foster homes. Joseph managed well with everything a foster youth endures, but at 18 found himself out on his own because his foster family no longer had a legal obligation to support him. Like many foster youth, Joseph didn’t have the skills to manage on his own, and ended up homeless.

One youth said it was helping raise his young nephew John, and wanting to show him what it looks like to work hard and succeed as young black man in America. Another said they knew their way out of poverty was education. Many of our scholars will be the first person in their family to graduate college, changing the path they thought they were destined to follow. Michael and Mathew found their way out through the discipline and team work of their high school football teams. Amanda said that her school was her safe haven, where she was able to excel in her studies.