March 18, 2025
Turning pain into purpose and purpose into passion has been one of my greatest accomplishments. I reclaimed ownership of my life by becoming the sole author of my future. Though the child welfare system is a part of my story, it is not the story.
I am a proud 22-year-old advocate with lived expertise in New Jersey’s child welfare system. My time in the system, though hard and traumatizing, forced me to find strength and my voice amid the chaos and confusion. Those experiences ignited a passion to fight for something much larger than myself and my family.
For years, I questioned my purpose: Why was I burdened with years of abuse and trauma? How could I possibly grow beyond it? My outlook on life was so limited, yet I had a strong urge to keep fighting even if what I was fighting for was still undefined.