In August of 2015, at the age of six, I became a ward of the court in California. In three weeks, I stayed in three different homes. I wasn’t quite sure what was occurring and why I was being displaced from my birth parents. All I knew was that I was in a strange house with a strange family and strange people asking me strange questions. Thankfully, the third home I stayed at would be my last, for in 2018 I was adopted into my forever family. I am so grateful to call these wonderful humans my family, but I will never forget the time I spent in the foster care system. A lot of horror stories abound surrounding the foster care system, but I was fortunate not to experience these. My story is a common one, however. My biological parents have struggled with substance and drug abuse, alcoholism, and homelessness for years. Additionally, my biological father is a convicted felon and has been in county jail. This led to an extremely turbulent household filled with abuse and neglect. I was often fearful of my father and frequently got into trouble at school. When I was put into the foster care system, I was relieved to be out of such a destructive household but also scared of what this new world would bring. I was so used to being yelled at, hit, and not knowing where my next meal was coming from, and being in a house that was quiet and loving was both terrifying and a relief. I was trying my hardest to earn each family’s love, only to leave a week or two later. Wondering if I was the problem and if I simply did not deserve a loving family only harmed my well-being more. On several occasions, kids have asked me if I was adopted because my parents didn’t love me. Sadly, these questions often turned into being bullied and being told I was unlovable. As a young child with raw, unhealed trauma, this was incredibly painful and often left me in tears. However, as I grew up and learned more about my family, I came to realize that my trauma was not my fault and that I was capable of being loved. However, the reaction other children show when I bring up this crucial aspect of my life still shows up today. Thankfully, I now know how to educate my peers better, and have found that many are more understanding and kind towards me. This experience of being in foster care has shaped my life in so many ways, one of which is my seeking to study criminal justice and psychology so that I can perhaps understand why my first family was the way they were and how other people can avoid losing their children. I am incredibly proud of my resilience to these traumatic experiences and have grown in so many ways. While the painful memories still exist, they are a part of my story and who I am, and I wouldn’t change a thing.