Michelle T. / You Are Loved

Michelle’s foster care journey began at an early age of 2 years old. She experienced the complexities of the system until the age of 10 when she was adopted by her paternal grandparents. Michelle overcame the feeling of not being wanted by her own parents. As mentioned by Michelle and many other foster youth she explains,

“I never knew when I’d see my parents again, sadly over time I grew to understand that It’d be a while…”

As an older sibling, Michelle felt the pressure of needing to be a role model for her younger siblings.

One of Michelle’s major accomplishments was graduating high school early as she was home-schooled. Following graduation, she pursued a medical assisting certificate. She is currently on her journey to receive her associates degree in nursing.

Michelle is an example of resilience in the face of adversity. She urges others to be more kind and considerate towards one another. Her advice for those experiencing foster care like herself is:

“I know it seems like you’re alone right now, but you’ll get through it and you are loved.”

Michelle says the thing she needed the most during her transitional period was an someone to listen when she needed to talk about her feelings. Michelle hopes she sets high expectations and goals for her siblings as she continue through her associates program. She aspires to build a family of her own, finish nursing school and purchase a home.