Student Stories

An excerpt from a recent student application perfectly illustrates the young people we support.

Your donation to Foster Progress can help us provide mentoring and scholarships to promising youth who experience barriers like these:

"I just turned 19 a couple of days ago. I was born in Chicago and raised moving in and out of foster homes. I went through a lot growing up. Due to the circumstances I was put through as a child, I learned to be independent, never asking others for help, because I honestly felt that nobody could ever understand my emotions or why I am who I am today. I got adopted by my foster family when I was around 12 years old. My foster family shortly started falling apart into pieces of problematic reasoning. When I turned age 18 I got kicked out of my house so I’m currently living with my best friend who took me in as her own. I can admit that during this difficult time I need help going into college. The only thing I ever wanted in my life is to be able to not let the past define me so that I can succeed in life. I strive to be more in life rather than being defined by some trauma that I experienced growing up, seeing things that can never be unseen or forgotten. I have the urge to bring myself up from my downfall and prove to others who have or are going through the same situation as me or worse, I can set the example of making anything possible no matter what card you got to play in life, good or bad. So I ask if I can get help figuring out how to pay for my college and start attending to accomplish my career goal as an anesthesiologist in any hospital."