Karina A. / Being forced into independence
The biggest challenge that Karina faced was that she felt she had to keep fleeing her group homes and she struggled to stay put. Eventually, she was placed in Dorthy Kirby which is a lock down placement.
The most anxiety-inducing part of being in foster care was being in a very unfamiliar place with total strangers. She was forced into independence and always had to advocate for herself. She had no one to help her do that with her.
She felt super let down when she first entered the system, but eventually learned that this was just something she had to get through.
The fact that she wasn’t home with family was depressing. What brought her comfort was reading and interacting with her foster sisters. When she read, she would imagine herself being the main character in the book.
Her foster homes could have made her feel more included instead of making her feel segregated.
She wished she would have been included in more outdoor activities like beach hiking or other things that would have allowed her to explore herself and her strengths as well as use her imagination.
She also wishes she would have been aware of the services available to her when she emancipated out of the system. She didn’t have a mentor.
She believes that the foster care system needs more motivational speakers like herself to come and tell youth that it’s possible and that everything will be okay: that it is part of the journey.
Despite these struggles, she looks on the bright side. She feels that her independence allowed her to be more vocal and forced her not to shy away from new opportunities. She is able to socialize and is not afraid to speak up.
She has many accomplishments, but her proudest one is starting her rap career. She is also working on her modeling career! In 5 years, she sees herself as a successful artist designer and everything that comes with that.
Her piece of advice for those in the system now is: stand strong because this is just the beginning of the journey to your greatness.