Follow the struggles and accomplishments each month of five young people aging out of foster care in Nebraska. Spread the word and help foster youth find solid ground.
"Most foster kids when they age out, they become homeless because people expect you to know what to do right away."Tweet this quote
Schalisha is determined to not be another disheartening statistic. The first in her family to attend college, this ambitious young woman is studying early childhood education and social work, as well as working full time. In addition to her busy schedule, Schalisha dedicates time to mentor a young girl whose story is similar to her own.
"I believe that there should be more programs that help, especially youth that are aging out of the foster care system"Tweet this quote
Angela is a 19 year old who, despite all she’s been through, still sees the cup as “half full.” A recent high school graduate, Angela spent her childhood moving between family members before entering foster care at 17. Although Angela admits that her upbringing led her to have a hard time expressing her feelings and trusting others, she says, "Live, laugh, love… that’s my motto."
"Most of my friends in foster care just go to shelters because no one else will take them in."Tweet this quote
Dakota, 21, is a full-time student whose ambition to earn a degree in Social Work is fueled by her desire to help young people in need. Despite the instability of her time in care, Dakota feels she learned a lot by going through the foster care system, including how to take responsibility for her actions. “I feel really proud of where I’m at.”
"People think that foster kids are in foster care because they did something wrong or got in trouble… but in most cases it's not their fault."Tweet this quote
Anthony, 18, has dreams of getting a degree in International Business and to "learn 6 languages by the time I’m thirty." With the challenges he has experienced in his life, he has learned this, "…lots of kids have potential. They just need to have the right support and live in the right environment – to have people that care about them."
"I am glad I had a second chance in life, it helped me out a lot."Tweet this quote
Oscar, 19, is fueled by a desire to prove that people's low expectations of youth in foster care are wrong. Despite attending six different high schools, Oscar graduated at 16 with ambitions of designing video games someday. He feels that being involved in the Project Everlast Council is a way to improve foster care for other young people.
"Being in foster care more than half my life, I still graduated at the age of 16, almost at the top of my class."Tweet this quote