Texas

Precious Rooks 12 years in Foster Care 25 years old She/her/hers Precious Rooks has been telling her story and advocating for young people in foster care since she was seventeen years old. She has shared her experiences through her work with several agencies, including the North American Council on Adoptable... Read more

Nileh Irsan 2 years in Foster Care 25 years old She/her/hers Nileh Irsan is a graduate of Texas A&M, and is currently pursuing her Master of Public Health degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center. She would like to become a licensed epidemiologist, and work for health programs... Read more

Celeste Lafond 3 years in Foster Care 23 years old She/her/hers Celeste Lafond is working to complete her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, and plans to continue with school to earn a Master of Social Work after graduation. Celeste is a member of the National Honors Society and is on... Read more

Dr. Dorsett is a Foster Care Alumni who spent 16 years of her childhood in foster care until she aged out after high school. She worked at a state and national level with Foster Care Alumni of America, FosterClub and the National Foster Care & Alumni Policy Council. She has... Read more

Brenda Woolley She/Her 22 years old Dallas, Texas Brenda Woolley is originally from Haiti, but currently resides in Dallas, Texas. She is currently in pursuit of her Master’s in Public Administration, with a focus in Nonprofit Management. Being from a third world country, Brenda has witnessed the struggles of living... Read more

Leslie Reneau She/Her/Hers 24 Years Old Texas Foster Care System As a former foster youth, Leslie had a great experience, but also a bad one. When people in high school knew that someone didn’t have parents or that their parents left them, it was an open opportunity for people to... Read more

Francisco Zamago He/Him/His 23 Years Old Texas Foster Care System Francisco entered the Foster Care system at age 14. He is now attending the University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley in pursuit of a Master’s in Educational Leadership. He also works at his University as a graduate assistant for... Read more

Hailey Loyd, 18, Texas’s Foster Care System Hailey has been in foster care for 7 years now. She experienced 6 foster homes. One of the most difficult challenges she faced was explaining to her younger siblings why they were in foster care. Hailey is on the Youth Leadership Council (YLC)... Read more

Bethani Dobbs, 20, Texas’s Foster Care System Bethani entered foster care around age 2 and was later reunited with her biological father. She entered care again at age 12 and experienced multiple placements; shelters, foster homes, a treatment center, and a Girl’s home. Naturally confused and feeling unwanted, at age... Read more

Jai McClean, 24, Texas Foster Care System Jai feels that her foster care experiences have provided her with opportunities to gain transferable skills such as effective communication and flexibility. The most influential experience that she feels she has had that will assist her in working with foster youth is her... Read more