Foster Care by Melissa

Foster Care by Melissa - May 2026 Scholarship Essay

A challenge I once found intimidating that now feels manageable is sharing my foster care story. I am a former foster care youth. Not every foster child is assigned a CASA, so I consider myself to be extremely lucky to have had one. My CASA was assigned to my case from the time I was 12 years old. She was instrumental in my development as a vulnerable child. She saved my life by changing the trajectory of my life. The statistics are stacked against foster children, and she did everything she could to ensure that I was going to be successful. Statistics show that it takes only one caring adult to change a child’s life and she was mine. She believed in me more than anyone ever had. She helped build confidence in me to reach for the stars and that I did not have to become a victim of my circumstances. Due to her influence in my life, I became a first-generation HS graduate, a first-generation college graduate, and I will be the first in my family to earn a Masters Degree.
What changed for me was realizing what I thought was embarrassing and shameful was actually a story of strength and resilience. Once I realized how strong I was to have overcome adversity, the more I was able to confidently share my story. I started to realize that it was inspirational to people as I shared it. Carrying around the embarrassment and shame was so heavy, and it is now freeing to be able to share my story and own it as a part of me.