Angie C. / Stay strong and I promise you will get better
Angie recounts a pivotal challenge in her foster care journey where she was learning how to cope with life, her feelings etc. She felt like no one understood what she was going through and expected her to live a normal life when she just couldn't.
Navigating the foster care system, the most difficult part about being placed in foster care was adjusting to living with a total stranger and adjusting to living how they lived.
Reflecting on her experience, she speaks on the barriers she dealt with while in foster care. While she was in high school , she was always missing school because of court, meeting with the social worker, therapy etc. She still managed to graduate high school but at one point she was behind.
"She needed more guidance and for someone to just show her love."
she says, expressing the overwhelming experience of the lack of support and loneliness. She needed resources for everything including mental health services, mentors, scholarships, etc. Help with resources and learning how to live on her own with no social worker. She was so used to having someone advocate for her. Mind you her social worker was like a parent to her and when she aged out she felt lonely. She wish they had programs longer than just 21 because most of my years she spent healing, and learned how to adjust to a normal life.
In the realm of what she is most proud of that she used whatever she went through and used it as something positive.
She is proud of herself for growing and accepting what happened wasn't her fault. Learning that she had no control over the situation. Her foster care experience taught her, she can’t give up on herself no matter what happens.
As she reflects on her foster care journey, she identifies her favorite things to do like reading, poetry, listening to music , going to concerts and spending time with her daughter and sisters. She found comfort listening to music, therapy, reading, spending time with my sisters, and going on trips.
From experience she says, It's going to be hard, frustrating, your going to feel like no one understands how you feel. People are going to be negative and aren’t going to believe in you but guess what you have the power to overcome any and everything. Yes, there is someone out there that is going to know exactly how you feel.
Now, as a beacon of strength, she shares advice with those currently in foster care, emphasizing never give up on yourself.
"Stay strong and I promise you will get better. Forgive you inner child and move forward for a better life. I would also suggest getting help and using s many resources as you can . Therapy helped me so much.."
Looking towards the future, she envisions herself 5 years from now transferring to UCLA and getting my bachelor's degree in science. She see herself financially stable and working in a hospital. Being the best mother she can be to her daughter and spending every special moment with her. Giving back to children who are currently in foster care and former foster youth. She see herself being an advocate for foster youth..