Natalie, a LifeSet Scholar, wears many hats: a first-generation college student, academic advisor, a mentor for other foster youth, and most importantly, a role model and advocate for her 14-year-old sister.

At age 11, Natalie and her sister entered the foster care system due to both parents being incarcerated. Natalie was placed in the care of a family member who had many children of her own, but her sister was placed in a different home. It was rare that Natalie got to see her.

“I would constantly stay home alone and have to do chores for myself or feed myself as an 11-year-old,” she said.

Growing up, discussions about her future or ‘college talk’ were never spoken or encouraged. “My family never asked if I was passing classes or how I was doing in school,” she said.

However, Natalie always knew she wanted to go on and do big things such as obtaining a college degree.

At 18, Natalie first joined the Independent Living Program (ILP) geared toward youth transitioning out of foster care where the young person is paired with a specialist who helps them communicate their plans and gain support. Having gone through many caseworkers before, Natalie didn’t think much would happen.

“It was weird because it was this middle-aged man that came knocking on my door,” she said.

During the summer, the two would meet at a local park frequently to discuss goals for Natalie. One of her milestones was to pursue a college degree. With her focus set on higher education, Natalie was moved to LifeSet — a more intensive Youth Villages program to help transition young people to adulthood — to begin her path toward a degree. They started by filling out FASFA forms and searching for housing and book vouchers.

“He ended up pushing me to get my driver’s license too and took me to go do the test. Once I passed, he brought me beignets,” she said.

She says LifeSet helped her obtain housing, fill out the application and get her own apartment with her sister.

Natalie and her specialist are working on even more goals for this year. “Right now, we’re working on studying strategies and making a good schedule of my day to get myself physically active again,” she said.

Natalie is also a part of a foster club, a team of individuals with lived experiences that help other foster youth navigate state resources and access to support. She is now a trusted support for others who are dealing with similar challenges as she once did. “I was always closed off when I was younger because nobody understood what I was going through,” she said.

Today, Natalie is majoring in business at a local college and even helps other young people on her campus discover different career paths and opportunities for their future. Through all the obstacles Natalie had to hurdle over, she still shows up for others, her sister and herself.

“Being independent has become my superpower,” she said.

Share on Social