Minnesota

Shawna Bullen-Fairbanks, Age 20 Pronouns: She/Her Shawna is a young Native American bisexual woman who is resilient and ambitious about creating change. She joined the Minnesota Youth Leadership Council in 2019. Shawna enjoys volunteering, has testified for the Ombudsman Law in MN, and has been published 3 times! She loves... Read more

Nia D She/Her/Hers 22 Years Old Minnesota “I believe that the fact that I continue to move forward focusing on helping others despite what I faced in the foster system and the disadvantages I've been dealt in life is what makes me resilient. The fact that I continue to reach... Read more

Lexi B She/Her/Hers 20 Years Old Minnesota “I’d like to work toward foster youth having the ability to live their lives with dignity and joy, especially when compared to non-foster youth.” Lexi is a Community Board Member with Foster Advocates, as well as a member of the Minnesota Promise Committee... Read more

Shawna B She/Her/Hers 20 Years Old Minnesota “I'm brilliant and resilient because I bounce back from every downfall and always come back on top. I do that by being there for others and advocating for change for my peers who are experiencing the system, or who have in the past.”... Read more

Z 9 years in Foster Care 21 years old Z is completing dual Bachelor’s degrees in Social Work and Criminal Justice. From there, they will pursue a Master’s degree in either Social Work of Political Science. Z plans to have a career in the policy and advocacy sector related to... Read more

Michael Kelly 6 years in Foster Care 24 years old He/him/his Michael Kelly is a medical student at the University of Minnesota, and dreams of one day becoming a rural family practice doctor. To achieve this goal, Michael plans to find a residency position in family medicine or primary care... Read more

Malcolm Leal He/His/Him 25 Years Old Minnesota Foster Care System Malcolm’s educational goals and dream is to get into Cybersecurity. He’s always been really good with technology. Computers, phones, tablets, TV’s, game consoles, etc. Family and friends have always gone to him whenever they need any technological needs, so he... Read more

Kala Beasley, 19, currently in Minnesota’s foster care system. Kala has experienced a foster home and kinship home, which she is still currently in. At Kala vacation Bible school, she led a group of children for two weeks. Through a program at her school, she volunteered at Feed My Starving... Read more

Vivianna Castillo-Roybal 8 years in Minnesota’s foster care system 20 years old She/Her/Hers Vivianna was placed into care at 13 with her two younger brothers. They separated her and her siblings upon entering care. She lived in foster homes, group homes, relative homes, and psychiatric hospitals. It was at 17... Read more

Manilan Houle grew up in Duluth, Minnesota. An enrolled member of Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Manilan is also a product of the Foster Care System. After graduating High School in 2012 Manilan jumped into political activism fighting for issues like Marriage Equality and Indigenous Rights at... Read more