From an early age, I have been placed in and out of foster care facilities. However, this did not hinder my admiration for knowledge or limit the dreams I deemed possible. Around the age of six, I was blessed with an adoptive family that taught me honorable morals, the importance of education and self-presentation. Living in a stable home allowed me more resources and opportunities to achieve the goals I formed in my adolescence. After excelling in early education, I was placed in a school for gifted children where my creativity thrived. This only enhanced my dreams of becoming valedictorian and being accepted into a reputable university. Upon entering high school, I was on track to graduate early and felt closer to living this dream. Due to unfortunate circumstances, however, I was placed back into foster care as a teenager. I was introduced to a new environment and genre of personalities. I quickly noticed that the girls I lived with didn’t possess the same drive or love for learning. There was a major lack of support from caretakers and minimal education of the resources available to youth in foster care who want to pursue a higher education. This deeply saddened me and inevitably affected my motivation to continue school. I noticed my grades dropping, desire to attend school decreasing and goal of graduating early slipping away. This was in no way beneficial or fulfilling for me, so I took it upon myself to refuel that drive and encourage those around me to do the same. It genuinely hurt me to see my peers with such promise and potential fall victim to their environment like I had. I shared my story and ambitions with every girl who would listen in hopes of impacting their view on how important education is to their future. Seeing even one more girl join me on the usually lonely bus ride to school sparked a joy I had never experienced before and a desire for more. With every group home I was placed in, I tried my best to have the same impact. More issues arose when I realized that documents weren’t as cared for when a youth in foster care transfers to new schools. Though I had passed enough classes to graduate at 16, my previous transcripts were not accounted for which resulted in me having to retake classes despite my contend. Through conversation, I found this was a common occurrence amongst children in foster care. A few months before my 18th birthday, I moved in with a non-relative placement that provided me the support and resources I needed to graduate as a senior and attend college. I often think about the well-being of the girls I have left behind. I only wish to see them grow as women the same way I have witnessed myself do. My experience as a foster child inspired me to encourage other unfortunate children to view their dreams as possible and themselves as worthy of a proper education. As I continue to learn and acquire resources, I plan to start a foundation for misinformed youth that focuses on a mission of developing knowledge as a core value.