Three different names. Three different homes. Three different families. All have contributed to one identity, Sadie Mekdes Fashana. Before I even knew how to ride a bike, I had already had three different names. Mekdes Amlaku, Sadie Tomlinson and Sadie Fashana. Now I am Sadie Mekdes Fashana. It’s a name that represents each of the three different identities that went into making me who I am today. I am strong, I am capable, but mostly, I am proud. I am proud of Sadie Mekdes Fashana because I had to fight to become her. I was born in Ethiopia, the youngest of six children. I was a happy little girl with an adventurous spirit and a propensity for getting into mischief. My family didn’t have much, but we had each other. My name was Mekdes Amlaku, and I felt safe, secure and loved. I never knew it wasn’t normal to eat only one meal a day, and I was used to the constant growl in my stomach. Then my parents died, and my world changed forever. My older siblings had to go to work, and I had to go into an orphanage. On the day I left my family, my heart broke. My brother told me that I would have a better life, but I didn’t believe him. The pain I felt in the orphanage was unbearable. I was alone, and I missed my family. Then, one day I was adopted and on my way to America. The woman who adopted me thought the way to show love to her children was by abusing them. For the first time in my life I was afraid. I felt powerless and lost. This woman destroyed the carefree, innocent, and trusting Mekdes. I became Sadie Tomlinson, a person I didn’t recognize. I had lost my family, my culture and my language. The day that the police came to arrest her and take us away was the scariest day of my life. I spoke no English, so I didn’t understand what was happening or where we were going. That was my introduction to the foster care system. I ended up living in five different foster homes before I entered first grade. Just when I had lost hope, I got another chance. I was adopted again but this time into a beautiful and loving family. This family rebuilt me and made me whole again. I became Sadie Fashana. I was given a second chance at childhood. I learned to speak English. I learned that I didn’t have to go to bed hungry. I had finally found the better life that my brother told me about. My full name is Sadie Mekdes Fashana. It is a combination of the three identities that have shaped me. I feel optimistic about my future. I found my voice, and I want to use it to advocate for children who have lost their families. For a long time I believed that I was too broken to change the world. I quickly learned that I am able to help people in need because at one point in my life I was them. I realize knowing what it feels like to feel hopeless, alone, scared, and broken is my weapon. I am able to connect with people I am helping on a deeper level. Next year I am attending Seattle Pacific University to study Global Development and minor in Global and Urban Minisity. After college I plan on working with non-governmental organizations to help solve poverty problems.