2022 Outstanding Young Leaders

Lindsay Briese 6 years in Foster Care 23 years old She/her/hers Lindsay Briese is a second-year law student at Seattle University. She plans to pursue a career in family law with a focus on child custody, and wants to help extend access to legal resources to young people who are... Read more

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

Jared Oenick 23 years old He/him/his Jared Oenick is pursuing a degree in Biology with a minor in Neuroscience at the University of North Georgia. He is currently studying for the MCAT, and hopes to be accepted into an MD/PhD program so he can continue working on his goal of... Read more

Luna Busch 6 years in Foster Care 21 years old She/her/hers Luna Busch is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science at UC Berkeley. After she graduates, Luna plans to pursue either a Master’s degree in Public Policy or enroll in law school to prepare her for a political... Read more

Z 9 years in Foster Care 21 years old Z is completing dual Bachelor’s degrees in Social Work and Criminal Justice. From there, they will pursue a Master’s degree in either Social Work of Political Science. Z plans to have a career in the policy and advocacy sector related to... 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

Michael Kelly 6 years in Foster Care 24 years old He/him/his Michael Kelly is a medical student at the University of Minnesota, and dreams of one day becoming a rural family practice doctor. To achieve this goal, Michael plans to find a residency position in family medicine or primary care... Read more

Richard Liu 3 years in Foster Care 18 years old He/him/his Richard Liu is a student at Montclair State University, working on a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a focus on pre-law studies. Once he graduates, Richard strives to be accepted into UC Berkeley Law, where he will pursue a... Read more

Courtney Maher 18+ years in Foster Care 25 years old She/her/hers Courtney Maher is a student at Roxbury Community College, taking classes to prepare her to apply for a nursing program. She was inspired to return to school and pursue a career in nursing while working in a hospital detox... Read more

Milizhia Mills 2 years in Foster Care 24 years old She/her/hers Milizhia Mills graduated from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology. While her education was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, Milizhia intends to enroll in law school and pursue a career as... Read more