• Adapting to Have a Better Future

  by Saphir Wenzi

  As an unaccompanied refugee minor, I’ve faced many challenges in pursuing my education, but the support of my foster families, agency, and friends has helped me along the way. For me, being a successful woman in the world means having a family of my own and working as a social worker or mental health counselor.

• A Breakthrough With My Mom

  by Parris Smith

  When I was 7, my mother said, “I’m going to America to give us a better life.” “Why?” I asked.  In Jamaica, my dad worked for a gas company and owned a shop attached to our house where we sold basic items like bread, light bulbs, and combs.

• Almost Derailed by the Pandemic

  by Vinay Hinduja

  Last year I was in the spring semester of my junior year at Queens College when COVID-19 shut school down. At first, I was excited that I wouldn’t have to wake up early for class anymore. Then I found out I was getting kicked out of the dorm—which was my home.

• How I Survived My First Semester of College

  by Gabriela Felitto

  When I started college at the University of Vermont, I felt nervous but confident. I enrolled in seven classes: linguistics, race and racism in the U.S., global health anthropology, approaches to health, cultural crossroads, communication and science, and intro to psychology.

• My Worker’s Loving Lie

  by Marie Alcis

  People who’ve never been in foster care may take for granted the little things when it comes to college. Most college freshmen, for example, just assume everyone has a parent or guardian to help them move into their first dorm. But many young people in the system don’t have anyone for that transition.

• Is College for Me?

  by Anonymous

  Up until the 11th grade, school was a struggle. My parents abused me, which made it hard to concentrate, and they never helped or encouraged me in school. Then I went into care, missed a lot of school, and fell behind.