Owning Her Story: Shayla’s Path to a Future Without Limits
The moment was finally here — she was graduating, a moment she yearned for during her years in foster care. With Foster Success's support, she made that dream a reality. Now, her peers and mentors listened as she addressed them during her graduation speech.
“While all of our stories are different, you are living proof that systems can fail, but people can still succeed.”
Newly graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a certificate in Nonprofit Management, Shayla was honored as the Graduate Speaker at ETV’s Virtual Graduation Celebration. The celebration is attended by all ETV graduates and Foster Success staff as a way to connect with their peers and commemorate their achievement.
Her speech articulated the emotional challenges of navigating the world outside of foster care — a universal feeling for older foster youth. She took the statistics that often defined their stories and turned them into statistics of strength and resilience.
“You have survived 100% of your hardest days, especially the ones no one knows about. You are part of a small percentage of foster youth who graduate, but 100% of you deserve to be here,” Shayla said.
After sharing part of her story, she ended her speech by encouraging her peers not to carry their stories in silence — that by sharing their journey with others, they decide how their story is told. Shayla is owning her story and creating a space for other foster youth to do the same.
“College was really hard. Going into adulthood without family was really hard,” she said. “Not having to worry about the financial burden of having a place to stay, food on the table, and obtaining an education was a blessing.”
Shayla entered foster care at 15. Her Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) introduced her to Foster Success, and she quickly became involved with programs like the Indiana Foster Youth Alliance, formerly known as the Indiana Youth Advisory Board (IYAB). As she neared the end of high school, she was determined to attend a big school but didn’t know how to afford it. After learning about the ETV program, she enrolled and utilized the funds to help pay for her tuition.
“College was really hard. Going into adulthood without family was really hard,” she said. “Not having to worry about the financial burden of having a place to stay, food on the table, and obtaining an education was a blessing.”
Thanks to ETV, Shayla graduated without student loan debt. But beyond the financial aid, her relationship with ETV staff also made an impact. Her calls with her Foster Success Education Coordinator, Sarah Arenas, helped her navigate life outside of school. Sarah began hosting lunch meetings on campus for ETV students, allowing Shayla and her peers a chance to form deep bonds and connections.
Shayla met Julia, another Foster Success participant who had just completed the Congressional Coalition of Adoption Institute (CCAI)’s Foster Youth Internship. She encouraged Shayla to apply.
Over the summer, Shayla completed the Congressional Coalition of Adoption Institute (CCAI)’s Foster Youth internship in Washington, D.C. The internship is an immersive seven-week educational and civic program for students and recent graduates with lived experience in foster care. During the program, they work with members of the U.S. House and Senate and their staff while creating a federal policy report with three recommendations for Congress to better child welfare.
Her interest in policy began in 2023, when she went to D.C. as part of Journey to Success with Foster Success President & CEO Maggie Stevens. Over four days, Shayla met with members of the Indiana congressional delegation to share her experiences and advocate for Title IV-E funding. There, she spoke to Congresswoman Erin Houchin, and explained how she would lose access to housing funding when she turns 21. Shayla advocated for a flexible age that could help foster youth complete their education. The conversation inspired a bipartisan bill, and sparked Shayla’s drive to get more involved in policy.
The internship is another step in Shayla’s advocacy for herself and others affected by policy.
“It’s not foster youth’s fault they ended up in the circumstances they were in. It’s up to us as a society to raise our children, and part of that is foster youth.”
Shayla credits Foster Success for empowering her future — from getting a bank account to a driver’s license to paying tuition. The resources, trust, and care have given her a foundation to build her future with confidence.
“When I entered care, I felt ashamed. As long as people knew I was a foster youth, their expectations were so much lower about what I could achieve,” she said. “Foster Success gave me a safe space for me to come into myself and figure out who I am outside of being a foster youth.”
Now 21, she has started her first full-time job as Assistant Director of Development for the IU School of Education and plans to pursue her Master’s degree. In the future, she aims to give back to the Foster Success community that ensured she had a path to success