As a former foster care child, figuring out how to pay for my college expenses such as tuition, books, & housing was quite intimidating. Thankfully, I became a scholar of the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, which supported me throughout my undergraduate degree at Arizona State University. The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust is one of the most unique and giving scholarship programs for former foster care youth in Arizona. As an undergraduate student, not only did they support me financially in covering my college expenses, but they also created a community of mentors and friends that guided me through my best and most difficult moments.
The scholarship directors were always accessible to talk with, whether it was school related or not, through their regular progress check-ins. There were also events throughout the year to spend quality time with other scholars. Having those experiences makes a world of a difference in the lives of former foster care youth pursuing their education. It fostered those strong relationships that are needed to succeed.
Alongside creating a community of mentors and friends, the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust connected me to resources such as supplemental scholarships, community programs for foster youth, and academic and financial experts at the university. This helped to affirm that I was in fact, receiving all of the support necessary to reach my full potential as a student. A BIG THANK YOU to the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust for going above and beyond in ensuring that former foster care youth receive a well rounded education. Keep changing lives, you are truly remarkable!
Transitioning from foster care at age 18 and becoming an independent young adult can be very exciting and nerve wrecking. There are many significant responsibilities to manage and at times we forget, or don’t prioritize, the importance of obtaining or maintaining health insurance. Thankfully, there is now health insurance for former foster care youth known as 
Prior to YATI, there was minimal support for health insurance for former foster care youth. As a result, I aged out of foster care without health insurance, which caused a lot of financial and health obstacles for me. From the ages of 18-23, I was without health insurance and during that time I had a few medical emergencies that resulted in thousands of dollars in medical debt that took me several years to pay off. My story of being ineligible for health insurance as a former foster care child, before the implementation of YATI, is not unique. There were many other young adults who had aged out of care, became uninsured and were unable to seek regular or emergency medical attention without the fear of paying costly medical bills.
When I was in foster care, one of the most helpful organizations that provided me with a great support system was 
