Then and Now

I didn't really have plans to go to college. I was just trying to survive. I had been in the foster system since I was 13 and was living on my own at 17. It was super scary. I was thrown into adulthood and had to figure it all out at once, on my own.

I was working but not having school felt like a piece of me was missing—I had loved high school and had been super involved. I knew of SLCC because of a concurrent class I had taken. I did some research and was able to get financial aid and then some scholarships, so I could work part-time and go to college.

My first semester at SLCC was overwhelming. I failed some classes. I was intimidated and it seemed like everyone knew what they were doing. I suffered through it until I finally asked for some help. I started talking to my professors about my situation and they were pretty awesome and understanding.

I was well into 5 years at SLCC before I figured out that I wanted to be a social worker—I knew these were the people who helped me when I was a foster kid. I earned my bachelor's in social work at the U of U and eventually became a therapist and now run my own private practice

"I didn't really have plans to go to college. I was just trying to survive."

Advice

I know you are probably scared. I promise this is not as scary as you think. You just need to take that step—reach out to an advisor and ask for help. For foster teens, check out the First Star program.