Rogers Family Award for Grit

I am one of the many faces of foster youth alumni in Texas. Once a ward of the state, subject to the uncertainty of even having a home or a healthy bond with anyone, let alone the possibility of having a dream to start or finish what I really wanted to do. A struggling mother wanting to show her children that you can do what you love, if you only work for it, really pushed me into taking the final step and changing careers, from Supervising Customer service agencies and Managing staff at resorts, to become an automotive technician. I have always loved cars, driving and working on them, but I, unfortunately, succumbed to societal norms at the time that women weren't meant to be technicians. Foster Youth are still a very important part of my life, and I try and engage and help as many alumni as possible, as while I was in care I was the head of our foster youth-led group that gathered from all regions of Texas to bring issues to the state to make lives of the 6,510,210 foster youth in Texas better, more fulfilling, and well normal. One way we were able to make changes pertaining to bettering the odds of life success for foster youth by extending the age of the waiver from 21 to 23, because when in foster care, you don't always graduate on time due to the instability of homes. With Texas still having major issues with the foster youth system, and with me now being in school, my goal is to help the foster youth that are aging out, which I will be able to do as a mechanic in my own way. While advocating and voting helps, actually physically helping youth in need that are aging out is my ultimate goal, with car repairs. If you are fortunate enough to have been in a home where you were able to get a job and afford a vehicle, or better yet if the foster parents could let you borrow or got you a car for work, you automatically had a better chance of being able to move out and start life. But if anything were to happen to the vehicle, the repairs could derail everything that the foster kid is trying to achieve. Can't get to school, can't get to work, and things just start slowly falling apart. Yes, there are programs here and there, but they aren't easily accessible and are usually overwhelmed with the amount of needs that they are presented with. There are thousands of foster youth in Texas today, and aging out is never an easy task. My ultimate goal once I finish school, and achieve my ASE's completion, over the next 2-3 years I will start the process to start my own shop, that will not only offer discounted repair to foster youth, but will assist groups homes and foster youth in the search and evaluation of good used cars for youth aging out of foster care. Children are our future, and turning 18 definitely doesn't mean you have it all figured out or won't need help. I am personally glad to even be considered and am grateful for the opportunity to get help to achieve my dream, to help others. This is something very close to my heart, and anything helps.