Melendez I’m a student at San Diego State University majoring in criminal justice and I live in City Heights.
The years I spent in foster care were definitely the darkest of my life. As I approach my 24th birthday, I still struggle with nightmares from the abuse I endured during those tumultuous years. I entered the foster care system when she was just 9 years old and the journey continued until she was 18 years old. During that time, I moved between her eight different homes and attended six different schools, with a level of instability that made it difficult to maintain a stable life. Education is nearly impossible.
Of my siblings, two older brothers and one younger sister, I was the only one left in foster care. While my brothers were deemed too old to work and my sister took refuge with my father’s family, I bore the brunt of the system’s failures. Enduring constant abuse, I often felt alone during my formative years.
The reason I was placed in foster care was because my mother was battling schizophrenia, as well as experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. Our family was stuck in a cycle of neglect and instability due to my mother’s inability to provide stability. My siblings and I all had different fathers. My father abandoned me before I was born, which made life more difficult, but also gave me less support and shelter for myself.
Foster care shattered my spirit countless times, but somehow I found the resilience to persevere. Although she endured abandonment and neglect from several foster families during her childhood, she realized that her worth was not determined by the cruelty of others and was determined to cultivate self-love and resilience. I made up my mind and counted down the days until my 18th birthday. That’s when I was finally able to free myself and carve a path to independence.
My journey to higher education was fueled by support from Promises2Kids’ Guardian Scholars program, which is a valuable resource for former foster youth like me. Through this program, I found guidance, mentorship, and a supportive community that helped me navigate the complexities of academic and career development. In particular, the Women’s Leadership Network provided a space for empowerment and growth. In this support group, I was able to work with some amazing women who have built their careers from the ground up. They shared wisdom and encouragement with me and other young women. This gave me role models to look up to as I continued my education and started working towards my own career.
Advocates for Change has given me the skills and confidence to advocate for myself and others within the foster care system. This group means the world to me. Not only were the classes amazing and taught me a lot about being an advocate for myself, but I also met a very caring staff. The staff were warm and welcoming and always encouraged and respected my boundaries. . The other foster youth I met in this group were also great and I made some lifelong friends. This support group introduced me to a whole new world of media and how to use it to elevate the stories of foster youth like me. I grew up feeling like my voice didn’t matter, and at some point I started believing that, but Advocates for Change taught me that my voice matters just as much as anyone else’s. I did.
While attending Promises2Kids, I completed community college with an associate degree in criminal justice and then transferred to SDSU, where I am currently enrolled. I am grateful for the unwavering support that has propelled me forward as I approach the next stage of my educational journey: a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Sociology. Promises2Kids not only facilitated my academic studies, but also helped me form lifelong connections and pursue career opportunities, including the possibility of working for the FBI.
Without Promises2Kids, I think I would have struggled more during the transition. I think the journey would have been even more lonely. Guardian Scholars is a great program that has helped me financially and educationally, providing resources and support throughout. I can’t imagine not having this program to help me whenever I need it. I am filled with optimism and determination and know that with patience and support anything is possible.
