2012 Outstanding Young Leaders

Emily feels she has made good choices so far, has had good experiences in foster care, and is well on her way to achieving her goals. With a 3.92 grade point average, high school graduation is with honors, then it’s on to community college and university in pursuit of a... Read more

Richard T, of Milwaukee, WI has overcome many challenges as a nineteen year old. He grew up in a household where abuse, drugs, and alcohol were common. During his junior year of high school, at age sixteen, he lived on his own after his mother was arrested. Separated from his... Read more

Shawna Petrie is a 20-year-old student at the University of Wisconsin. She has declared a major in History Education, and her goal is to graduate in 2014. She lives independently in the dormitory there. Shawna entered the foster system at the age of 15, in 2007, along with her twin... Read more

Optimistic, driven, and compassionate are some words that describe Desiree Parker, 21, of La Crosse, WI. She entered foster care at age four, then spent fourteen years in care where she struggled with multiple placements and sibling separation. She insightfully reflects that “growing up, I knew I wanted to make... Read more

Tina, age 18 from Wisconsin, is currently in a relative home placement in foster care. She has overcome many obstacles that life has thrown at her, and excels at almost anything she wants to do. She has advocated for youth in foster care with state representatives as part of Foster... Read more

If you ask 20-year-old Bryttani Giles what she wants to do with her life, she’ll tell you: “I want to do whatever it takes to help people.” A junior with a full ride at Northwest University, Bryttani is majoring in Communication with a concentration in Media Studies and is currently... Read more

Honor Pereslete from Vermont is an amazing woman at 18 years of age. She is active in High School, in drama and choir, and hopes to someday be a performer. Her goals are to further her education in law, as well as in music and dance. Her GPA is 3.4... Read more

Brooke Hall was 15 when she was placed into foster care. Her foster home was unfamiliar, strict, and uncomfortable. For the following 8 month placement, Brooke slowly got used to the house rules and actually enjoyed spending time with her foster siblings. This short, yet influential time in Brooke’s life... Read more

Nineteen-year-old AJ R has been in foster care since the age of ten, residing in a residential facility since 2004. AJ R is not only a foster kid, but a college student and sport’s enthusiast pursuing his degree in Kinesiology at Victoria College. AJ was Peer Leader for the San... Read more

Having spent much of his life in and out of foster homes and group homes, Randel J, age 20 from Texas, has had to learn a powerful lesson; he has the power within himself to turn bad situations into something beautiful. “Being in the foster care system has actually been... Read more