Youth Voice Amplified

LIVE from the YES! Conference: Lessons Learned from Our Foster Youth Alumni

Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office Season 1 Episode 31

In honor of National Foster Care Month, this special Youth Voice Amplified episode brings you a powerful live panel from the 10th Annual YES! (Youth Empowering Success) Conference. Host Gennessa joins fellow foster youth alumni Cynthia and Rubi to share raw, real stories of resilience, healing, and hope. Moderated by award-winning speaker and former foster youth Kevon Lee, this conversation dives into the challenges of foster care, aging out, education, parenting, and finding your voice. Whether you're in foster care, working with youth, or just want to understand more—this episode will stay with you. 💙

Resources & information mentioned in the episode:

If you would like to ask us a question, recommend a topic, or suggest a guest, please email us at youthvoiceamplified@gmail.com.

Credits:

Producers: Brian Johnson, Gennessa Fisher, Kim Silva and Allyson Baptiste
Production Partners:  Liam Silva and Bakersfield College
Theme Song: “Beatitude” by Mountaineer 

💬 Have thoughts on this episode? Text us and share your take!

                                                                                     Audio file

YVA May 2025 (1).mp3

Transcript

00:00:00 Speaker 2

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed on youth voice amplified are those of the hosts and the guests and do not necessarily represent the official policy or position of the current county Superintendent, School office. Any content provided by our guests or of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, school organization, company, individual.

00:00:20 Speaker 2

Or anyone or anything.

00:00:22 Speaker 1

Use voice amplify covers a wide range of topics that could be upsetting to some listeners. Content warning for each episode, and links to resources can be found in this episode show note.

00:00:31 Speaker 1

For the purposes of maintaining confidentiality, names and some identifiable characteristics of our storytellers have been changed, but their voices and their stories are real.

00:00:41 Speaker 2

When young people share their stories, they can change the world. But some youth voices still go unheard. Join me, janessa Fisher.

00:00:49 Speaker 1

And me, Brian Johnson, for this youth LED monthly interview series as Young people tell their untold stories of experiences with homelessness, foster care disabilities, team parenting and more.

00:00:59 Speaker 2

Each conversation will uncover stories of hope strength.

00:01:02 Speaker 2

From our youth storytellers who want to share the best ways that we can all support youth in similar situations as theirs.

00:01:08 Speaker 2

If you want to know how to do better for youth or simply just be inspired, this is your show. Every youth has a story to tell.

00:01:15 Speaker 1

You ready to listen?

00:01:21 Speaker 2

Hey everyone and welcome back to youth voice amplified the podcast wherever you just heard and every voice matters. I'm your host, Janessa May is national foster Care month, a time to raise awareness about the experiences of children and youth in Foster.

00:01:32 Speaker 2

Care and to recognize the educators, caregivers, mentors and community members who support us along the way to honor this important month, we are doing something special in this episode, you'll hear a live recording of a powerful panel discussion, lessons learned from our first youth alumni. This was recorded at the 10th Annual Youth Empowering Success Conference, also known as Yes.

00:01:53 Speaker 2

Yes, is a school based program that supports foster youth in middle and high schools all across Kern County. The conference was held at Bakersfield College and it brought together students and foster care educators, caregivers, advocates for a day of inspiration, goal setting and.

00:02:07 Speaker 2

Connection. This panel was one of the highlights of the day. I had the honor of sitting on the panel alongside 2 incredible fellow Foster Youth alumni Cynthia and Ruby. We shared personal stories and talked about the hardest lessons we've learned and offered advice to students who may be walking the same path we once did. The panel was moderated by the Amazing Kevin Lee.

00:02:27 Speaker 2

A nationally recognized motivational speaker, author and former foster youth.

00:02:32 Speaker 2

Kevon brought so much energy and heart to the conversation with his own background growing up in and out of foster care, living in motels and even in his grandmother's car. Kevon knows first hand what our students are facing, and he uses his story to strengthen and empower others to rise above their circumstance and believe in their own strength. Whether you're a student in foster care.

00:02:52 Speaker 2

Social worker and educator or a caregiver, or just someone who wants to know how to do better and understand and support fast youth. This episode is for you. You'll hear stories of Brazilians, moments of truth and advice straight from those who lived it. We hope it encourages you and reminds you of the power of youth voice and shows you that no matter where you come from, your story matters.

00:03:12 Speaker 2

Now let's head to Bakersfield College for the panel lessons learned from our Foster youth alumni.

00:03:22 Speaker 4

Hi, my name is Kevin Lee. I'm going to going to be the host for the panel, but I'm going to let them introduce themselves and what they do now.

00:03:29 Speaker 3

My name is Cynthia and I'm a foster youth specialist with the Kern County number for Children Dream Center.

00:03:36 Speaker 5

Hello I am Rubik and I am a student teacher and becoming a teacher next year.

00:03:44 Speaker 2

My name.

00:03:44 Speaker 2

Oh, hello. My name is Janessa, and I am a peer support specialist at the Dream Center also.

00:03:51 Speaker 4

OK. So listen, so the questions that we're going well that I'm going to ask them, they're answers are going to be very vulnerable. So I want everybody to pay attention. Please give your respect to them. If you have phones, please put your phones.

00:04:03 Speaker 4

Way and definitely minimize the talking to 0 because we want to hear their answers and their expertise.

00:04:12 Speaker 4

Yeah. Ready for these?

00:04:13 Speaker 4

Questions.

00:04:14 Speaker 4

Alright, so we're gonna start here with Cynthia first. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during your time in the system and what motivated you to keep going despite these challenges?

00:04:29 Speaker 3

I was a teen parent so growing up in the foster care system, being a teen parent, there was never a group home or a foster home that wanted to take a teenage growing. And you were a baby at the same time.

00:04:39 Speaker 3

So that constantly led me to running away. So I was a well, most of my teenage years. So doing that and trying to navigate, still going to school while being homeless and being a minor was super hard and have not feeling like anybody really cared. So whenever people did try and they tried to.

00:05:00 Speaker 3

Show up for me and they try to be there for me. I would push them away because I didn't know who was actually doing it for, like the right reasons and who was just doing it to be seen as the person that was helping the kid that was struggling.

00:05:16 Speaker 4

So and I don't know if you answered this, but what motivated you to keep going?

00:05:21 Speaker 3

My daughter, I have I had a a baby at a very young age and she changed my life. I wouldn't be where I'm at today if it wasn't for my.

00:05:31 Speaker 3

Daughter.

00:05:34 Speaker 6

I will be saying.

00:05:36 Speaker 5

I think the biggest challenge was uncertainty like would I go back to my volunteer parents? Is my life wanted to go back to normal? Sorry. On on top of that, I had to face the drama of the aftershock of going to the to the system. I'm sorry of being separated of.

00:05:55 Speaker 5

All the things that I knew and I didn't, I didn't know where I was going. I don't know where my sisters were going to go.

00:06:04 Speaker 5

Yeah. So it was very uncertain, very long.

00:06:08 Speaker 5

And you see what I wrote, but I think what really helped me motivated me was my sister. She was very strong like me. I was very emotional as you can.

00:06:18 Speaker 5

To yeah, be strong like her because she was that guy like she was my pillar.

00:06:25 Speaker 5

And even at such a young age, she was only like 2 years older than me and ultimately God, because God always gives us these opportunities to grow and to be challenged. Even as a young child myself, and just to remain in that in him because I know.

00:06:45 Speaker 5

He has everything under control and I can be at peace with that no matter where my where I might find myself in.

00:06:56 Speaker 4

And Miss Ruby is the sister you talk about. Is she here right now? Where she at? Where she at? I know. I seen her earlier.

00:07:05 Speaker 4

Where she at?

00:07:08 Speaker 4

OK, we're gonna give her a shout out. OK. Thank you for sharing that.

00:07:13 Speaker 4

Janessa, what about you? Do you want me to?

00:07:14 Speaker 4

Read it again, no.

00:07:15 Speaker 2

I don't OK for me. So first and foremost I am the 4th oldest of twelve siblings so.

00:07:21 Speaker 2

So 6 girls, 6 boys. So obviously keeping us together was not an option and that's what was what was my hard part was like we were always separated and nobody could ever take us. Family really just wasn't an option. So moving to houses and not knowing who you're living with, just kind of being put in somewhere. It's like, OK, well, this is where you're going to stay.

00:07:42 Speaker 2

It's.

00:07:44 Speaker 2

I know I don't know anybody here, like I don't know anything about this people. They don't know me. It's it's, it's uncomfortable. So a lot of it was the uncomfortability.

00:07:52 Speaker 2

And so the uncomfortability of like, not knowing who I was living with and just having to be there and what motivated me was my siblings. So my sister is my best friend, my older sister, and they they really reminded me that, like, this is temporary. We're going to get through this. We're going to we're going to see each other again. We're going to be again.

00:08:12 Speaker 2

To be together again so.

00:08:14 Speaker 4

I love it. I love it.

00:08:16 Speaker 4

So there's two things that I want to say, a word that she just used was temporary, meaning that it is not going to last forever. There's no storm in life that literally lasts forever. It always ends with sunshine. And the second thing that all of you alluded to was they had community, so don't be sure.

00:08:37 Speaker 4

I mean, don't be scared of sharing with the people who can help.

00:08:40 Speaker 4

You we have adults in the room that can always help you. There's people at your school sites, your friends, a lot of them said their sisters, their siblings help them. So don't be afraid of having somebody like connecting with somebody and for them to help you cause community is strong, relationships are strong and that's just not when you're a child. That's even when you're an adult as well. Alright. So second.

00:09:00 Speaker 4

Question goes to Cynthia. Let's start with you again.

00:09:06 Speaker 4

What role? The education, formal or informal, play in your success?

00:09:13 Speaker 3

Well, I'm 24 right now and I'm barely going to graduate with my BA.

00:09:16 Speaker 3

In December, but.

00:09:20 Speaker 5

OK.

00:09:23 Speaker 3

So navigating the foster care system, like I said, I was homeless a lot during my teenage years, so I was a high school dropout. I was. I dropped out of high school my sophomore year, and I didn't go back until my senior year. But I went from being two years behind to actually graduating early while working full time and.

00:09:43 Speaker 3

I have kids now, so I'm I'm going to school because my bachelor is going to be in psych.

00:09:48 Speaker 3

Apology. I already have my foot in the door and the career that I want. I'm already working with Foster youth, so it's like a full circle moment, but I know that in order to keep elevating.

00:09:58 Speaker 3

I have to go get my degree.

00:10:01 Speaker 4

I love that.

00:10:06 Speaker 5

Yeah, I think it had to do a lot because it opened a lot of opportunities. I started off.

00:10:15 Speaker 5

As a really good student, I would get my eyes are just basically still so focused in school because that's the only really staple thing and I went to UC Santa Barbara to the beach and there I studied it, but no one really knows what what those two majors.

00:10:35 Speaker 5

Are, but it's environmental studies and compare literature, so like sciency literature, I didn't know what to do with that. So when I came back to Bakersfield.

00:10:46 Speaker 5

I that's when I also graduated in 2020 COVID, so it's really rough and I found myself going back to school because I started subbing and I was like, you know what? I want to be a teacher though, because since I think I was in first grade, I remember writing and.

00:11:05 Speaker 5

Serena Maestra, or assisted de Maestra, and it just felt like a full circle moment, right? So I think, yeah, it made a big impact in my, I guess, yeah, career overall.

00:11:22 Speaker 4

I love it.

00:11:25 Speaker 2

I think for me I've always struggled with education ever since I was younger, I just struggled with the idea of school and learning, and I got into a lot of trouble in my high school years, so I didn't graduate the traditional way. I went to a quasi military school and essentially it's just a military school where you live there for six months. You graduate early.

00:11:45 Speaker 2

And then after that I I was like, I'm never going back to school.

00:11:48 Speaker 2

But I found a love for working with youth and care and homeless youth, and from there, just the love of speaking. And so I am currently enrolled at BC, trying to finish my in communication and for me, education played a vital role because in some ways it helped me kind of get my life straight.

00:12:10 Speaker 2

And really having to focus on what I wanted to do in life and really understanding like I could be more than what everyone told me I would be and I could go further than what everybody told me. I.

00:12:22 Speaker 2

Could be.

00:12:26 Speaker 4

Beautiful. So I don't know if you guys, if you heard this when I said it earlier, but in California, well in the United States, on any given day, there's about 420 thousand false in there. In California there's about 59, roughly 60,000. So right there that number is somewhere around there.

00:12:44 Speaker 4

And they said only about 3% nationwide will ever graduate with a bachelor's degree, right?

00:12:51 Speaker 4

And so, and do we believe that, you know, you have to be, you have to get a college degree to be successful? Absolutely not. But that's why this question said, formal or informal education. What else are you going to do if you don't want to go to college, are you going to going to go get a trade? Like what? What are you going to do? A credential or certificate, whatever the case is, what are you going to do in order to?

00:13:13 Speaker 4

Like how? How to assure your success, right? Because in order to grow in life, you still need that education, whether it's school or whether it's informal education, but always just keep that in the back of your mind and be one of those 3% to actually graduate. Change that statistic one day wants to see a 4%. Now they want to see 10%, but that's all up to.

00:13:32 Speaker 4

You all right now?

00:13:34 Speaker 4

Thank you all for answering those questions. So the next question, let's start with you for Janessa, were there any community organizations, nonprofits or government programs that provided meaningful support?

00:13:50 Speaker 2

First off, you caught me off guard. Cynthia again. Second off. Absolutely. So this is where I work now, but the Dream Center was.

00:14:00 Speaker 2

A really.

00:14:00 Speaker 2

Resource for me it's a. It's a one stop shop for foster youth to come get resources they they offer a whole bunch of resources. I could sit up here and I'm pretty sure Cynthia could talk for hours about how great the Dream Center is.

00:14:14 Speaker 2

But it offered me resources and like help with housing help with getting my ID, getting my birth certificate. But not only that is they offered people to just be there and be there unconditionally for me where it's like where sometimes I know it's it's hard to not have the support system of your family like a big support system that everyone.

00:14:36 Speaker 2

It has as a mom, right. And so in this community of being in foster care, it's like I don't have my mom.

00:14:41 Speaker 2

Like that where I can lean on her. So at the Dream Center, I have people who I can lean on and building that community that Kevin was talking about. It's these people who will unconditionally say yes, janessa, we accept you and we're here for you and we're here to elevate you.

00:14:54 Speaker 2

And your experiences?

00:14:58 Speaker 4

Well said. Hey, so.

00:14:59 Speaker 5

What's that?

00:15:00 Speaker 4

I like that. I like that.

00:15:03 Speaker 4

Can anybody get access from the Dream Center? Is there like a age requirement or how does that look?

00:15:11 Speaker 3

So the Dream Center is the foster Youth Resource Center. All it takes is 24 hours in the foster care system for you to be eligible for services, and we do offer services up until the age of 25. So a lot of the times.

00:15:23 Speaker 3

Youth have gone experienced foster care or gone through foster care when they were younger and they don't remember, but all it takes is 24 hours. So even if you if you're working with the youth or if you are a youth and you have a friend that isn't sure, it's literally just an application that takes 10 minutes to fill out and.

00:15:37 Speaker 3

You guys can come and see if you guys are eligible for services.

00:15:40 Speaker 4

So I'm not eligible because I'm 20.

00:15:42 Speaker 4

7.

00:15:42 Speaker 3

No, you're not a youth no more.

00:15:43 Speaker 4

That's crazy.

00:15:46 Speaker 4

Dang, I'm not home. I'm a full life adult. That's wild. Alright, let's go to you then. Were there any nonprofits organizations that helped you along your way?

00:15:47

Yeah.

00:15:49

Then.

00:15:56 Speaker 3

The Dream Center. So I when I first came to the Dream Center, I was 17. I was homeless, I was on my second, I was pregnant with my second child.

00:16:09 Speaker 3

And I was going through like a really hard time and that was the first place where I actually felt safe. I felt hurt. I felt seen, and I was not just bounced around like they told me. They came, and they talked to me and they were like, hey, we do have to call a social workers and come pick you up and they going to take you back to Jameson.

00:16:29 Speaker 3

But they explained the process to me. They guided me through it, and then they actually helped me when I turned 18. They didn't just let me age out of the system and fall through the cracks. And that played a really big part because a lot of the times when you age out of the foster care system, it's very easy to fall through the cracks when you don't know your resources or you feel like nobody cares.

00:16:47 Speaker 4

That's what I'm talking about.

00:16:52 Speaker 5

Resources that I had or like in college, I was like by myself, so I used medical a medical thank you and then Cal Fresh helped a lot to like, just managing, helping me with that. And then I was great fortunate enough to get a scholarship before ride scholarship to Santa Barbara. And I did benefit from Dream.

00:17:12 Speaker 5

Center, but not as much as they had. I did it. I take as much as advantage, but I took what I needed, right. I got my bus pass because I had to.

00:17:23 Speaker 5

Still finished high school, but I lived across town so I had to take the bus so it just helped with the bus passes.

00:17:33 Speaker 5

It's a little thing.

00:17:35 Speaker 4

Dream Center it's called a Dream Center.

00:17:37 Speaker 4

Right.

00:17:38 Speaker 4

It's not like they're doing it big over there. No, that's not that. That. That's amazing. Having a center. I don't even know if we have something like that in summer. Dino, where I'm from, I haven't heard of anything like that. I've heard about one for a homeless youth, but not foster.

00:17:52 Speaker 4

So I might have to stay that idea because that's a pretty good that's a pretty.

00:17:56 Speaker 4

You said up. Yeah, I know Rashad started. That's a pretty good resource though. And so, so also the like for me, what helped me was when I was in high school, I didn't want to tell anybody that, you know, I dealt with foster care or I was homeless at times. I didn't want anybody to know. So nobody ever knew. Right. And so I didn't even know. There's programs out there.

00:17:57 Speaker 5

Oh and started.

00:18:16 Speaker 4

So I actually went to college and that's when, as I was applying to college, they told me to this woman came up to me. She told me. She said, hey, apply for the residence scholars.

00:18:24 Speaker 4

Program I said. What's that? She said. It's a foster youth program on campus that helps you and guides you through. You know, your college journey and stuff like that. So even when you graduate high school, you still have the resource centers like the Dream Center. You also have college programs that are designated to serve you and to see it through. So I'm telling you right now, if it wasn't for that program, I don't know how I would got my bachelors degree.

00:18:47 Speaker 4

But because of that program, I was able to make it so again, there's a lot of resources out here. There's a lot of programs out here. You just have to be willing to take the actual help because I know a lot of people who just didn't want to take the help because they didn't want to be ostracized and say, you know, I I don't want people to know.

00:19:04 Speaker 4

Foster youth. It's nothing wrong with that, because at the end of the day, it's not your fault and what position you're in. But thank you all for that explanation. That was amazing. All right, next one, we're going to.

00:19:15 Speaker 4

Start with you Ruby.

00:19:18 Speaker 4

What were the biggest challenges you face when aging out of foster care?

00:19:22 Speaker 5

I'll just read what I wrote having to figure out what I wanted to do with my life and how to actually live it. That was hard. So like.

00:19:34 Speaker 5

I I wouldn't know how to explain it, but like OK like what next? You know, like what next steps do I do with my life?

00:19:42 Speaker 5

As I finished high school, I'm like I wasn't very. I didn't know going into college like I knew I was going to go to college, but I don't know what for what? And I just confused. And then my counselor.

00:19:55 Speaker 5

I honestly did not even want to bother to do those. I forgot what they're called personal statements, but she took me out, put them, pulled me out of my classroom and had me just sit there and write it. And yeah, I just. I just came in as undeclared and I just figured it out. Right. And I think that was like, the biggest challenge for me because.

00:20:16 Speaker 5

18 years old. You're still so young and you're still trying to figure it out. And like myself like I had that journey of like.

00:20:24 Speaker 5

Not not knowing what to do, but like in Spanish literature, but what I want to do in Spanish literature. OK, I like environmental studies. What I want to do with that, and then I finally came here. Right. So it's just like a lot of.

00:20:36 Speaker 5

A lot of choices, but I I think I just want to.

00:20:39 Speaker 5

Give you that.

00:20:40 Speaker 5

That thought of like, OK, that challenge.

00:20:44 Speaker 5

It is very challenging at 18 years old to decide right then and there for yourself. When I'm going to major like right then and there, you have to choose and you, you you don't you have. You have options right. You can always change your mind. Yeah.

00:20:59 Speaker 6

I love you.

00:20:59 Speaker 3

It's OK so.

00:21:02

Yes.

00:21:02 Speaker 4

What's funny is I remember when I applied for the Renaissance scholars program. One of the questions were what? What is a hardship or challenge you had to face in life? And I'm like, I'm about to kill this. I got shot easy.

00:21:15 Speaker 4

Like, that's all right. And then there was like, oh, name something that you're currently dealing with right now. And I forgot what I put, but each one I only put like one or two sentences. The person read it, she sent it back to me through e-mail. She said kept on. Now, if you want to get in this program, you got to put way more than this. I didn't know anything like how you said about personal statements. I didn't know nothing about that. So I'll just put in one sentence.

00:21:36 Speaker 4

But you have to actually write out your whole, not your whole life, but definitely be more thorough with it. OK, same question to you.

00:21:45 Speaker 3

What was the?

00:21:45 Speaker 4

Question. OK. What were the biggest challenges you face when aging out of the foster?

00:21:50 Speaker 4

Care.

00:21:52 Speaker 3

Homelessness. I had no life skills. I didn't have no family to lead on, and I was already a mom, so I was trying to. I had the responsibility to be something that I never had an A good example of.

00:22:11 Speaker 3

And I was homeless. I was experiencing homelessness, so trying to.

00:22:16 Speaker 3

Figure out what to do with your life while going through experiences that are not easy can be very hard.

00:22:25 Speaker 3

I know that for a long time, like I said, I'm 24 and I'm barely going to get my a because I had to put a lot of things on hold and tell myself. Like you know what, right now it's not the time. I can't figure it out. I have to get stuff like housing or put all these other things first. So just figuring out and.

00:22:40 Speaker 3

Knowing that it's.

00:22:41 Speaker 3

OK. And trying to tell myself that I'm not in a rush.

00:22:45 Speaker 3

Or I don't have to be what everybody else is being at my age like. It's OK. I had a different story. I had a different deck of cards. That was, I was dealt, and it's OK. Like, I'm figuring that out one day at a time, and that's OK.

00:23:01 Speaker 1

Hmm.

00:23:06 Speaker 4

Now that was well said.

00:23:08 Speaker 4

Same thing to you janessa.

00:23:12 Speaker 2

So my story is a little different because I was reunified, I was reunified with my parents, but they weren't ready for children. So we grew up with them. And then at 18, like.

00:23:23 Speaker 2

On our 18th birthday, they kicked us out.

00:23:26 Speaker 2

Each so I also I I face a similar challenge as Cynthia is like facing homelessness and not knowing what to do next.

00:23:33 Speaker 2

UM.

00:23:35 Speaker 2

But apart from that, is just not having anybody to lean on and not knowing what next or what now. Whereas like Ruby story is like what next, what now? I was kind of like, OK, I'm homeless. So let me just go to apply to college when that was really not the best decision for me to do, because then I'm just a homeless college student.

00:23:55 Speaker 2

I have nowhere to study. I have nowhere to go. I don't have transportation, so it's just like, well, what now? So just that that unknown and not knowing what what the next steps are.

00:24:17 Speaker 4

I was going to say something, but I decided not.

00:24:19 Speaker 3

To say it it.

00:24:20 Speaker 4

No, it's nothing. It's nothing crazy now. I'm accident, then I'm accident thing. All right, so next question, how did you manage financial independence, housing and employment as a young adult? Let's start with you, Cynthia.

00:24:37 Speaker 3

So I started working at.

00:24:39 Speaker 3

The age of.

00:24:40 Speaker 3

Like 13 but I got my first like legit job at 16 at McDonald's.

00:24:46 Speaker 3

I was homeless. I did experience homelessness. I got housing through the Dream Center. Use your resources. If there's resources out there. I know a lot of the youth don't always know what the resources they have available. But because you guys have experienced foster care, there's a lot of resources out there and take advantage of those resources. Those resources are the reason that I'm able to be here doing what I do now. So I took advantage of my resources.

00:25:08 Speaker 3

I had a lot of people in my life that were willing to guide me and and teach me how to budget and tell me, like, hey, this is, it's really important that you're financially smart and that you use your money in a good way. And I also had kids that have the responsibility of having kids at a very young age. So I had to figure it out and be like, OK, you know, I don't want to give them the same life that I had.

00:25:27 Speaker 3

So.

00:25:28 Speaker 3

I didn't have no other option but to.

00:25:30

Figure it out.

00:25:33 Speaker 4

Staying home.

00:25:38 Speaker 5

I think having a growth mindset like OK, like I'm struggling right now, but how can I grow from here when all aspects like the question has said, like financially independent and housing and even just?

00:25:52 Speaker 5

Well, at 18 years old, I think I I hadn't had a job until like I was 19 years old, which thankfully I was blessed enough not to need one at that time. But then later on I needed one, and then I kind of did not budget well. So it's just like, yeah, like falls, but rising, rising and be successful in that.

00:26:13 Speaker 5

And then I even, yeah.

00:26:15 Speaker 5

Also like the same thing, piggybacking on Cynthia, is that just reaching out like that helps so much, like asking for or asking questions, even with I think the other day I stopped by Dream Center to do to sign in some things. And Cynthia was telling me about this great opportunity to work at during something over the summer.

00:26:36 Speaker 5

And so it's just like those little opportunities you get because you open up where you're at, right? So I think that helped.

00:26:42 Speaker 5

Me a lot.

00:26:50 Speaker 2

I think for me it was a lot of trial and error. I didn't have anybody to like lean on. So I got my first check and I blew it and I was like OK, next check can't do that. It was just a lot of trial and error. It was kind of like, OK, so this time I'll pay rent with this check. And then I blew the rest of the check and it's like, well, now you need to pay for.

00:27:06 Speaker 2

Gas and water and it's like, OK, so so slowly learning and teaching myself. Like, put your money aside and making sure that you have all your bills separated and then kind of making that budget so that at least for the financial aspect of it.

00:27:29 Speaker 4

I want to piggyback on this so I know for me, I I remember being I I probably was in my sophomore year at college and I decided not to stay on campus. And when you stay on campus, my college, they usually help you.

00:27:41 Speaker 4

Pay for your housing and stuff, I said. No, I don't want to share a room with nobody, so that's why I decided to stay on campus. And I there's one point. I was literally 3 months behind.

00:27:51 Speaker 4

My rent and the only way I could pay it was literally taking out a loan. And so I know, like especially young it's hard because you you're finally like in the sense of, you know, now now you'll probably get like 20-40 dollars. And y'all say, man, that's a lot of money. Right. You get somebody like that's $24.00 we go like, what is this?

00:28:11 Speaker 4

We're not going to be appreciative. We gonna be like what?

00:28:13 Speaker 4

This, she says she's like I need.

00:28:16 Speaker 4

That for you.

00:28:17 Speaker 5

It's.

00:28:18 Speaker 4

Right. It's not right. It's gas money for me anyway though. But even in college, I remember getting resources. They would contact me saying, hey, Kevin, we got $300.00 and Ralph gift cards. You want to come get them or we have $100 in gas, gas gift cards. Do you want to come get them?

00:28:34 Speaker 4

Or cap on where we have the scholarship is $2500. You should apply boom every single year. I got that scholarship because nobody else was applying for it, so. Oh, that's that's another thing we all get to college.

00:28:47 Speaker 3

Next up.

00:28:48 Speaker 4

Next up, right Next up is the Community College program. That's Next up and then for Bakersfield. I know they have a different program. I don't know the exact name of it because each college is different. You.

00:28:49 Speaker 3

Yes.

00:28:58 Speaker 4

Know the name of.

00:28:58 Speaker 3

It from Bakersfield. For this next step and then they have EPS as well.

00:29:03 Speaker 4

You know, for Cal State scholars. OK, so guardian.

00:29:05 Speaker 5

Guardian, guardian.

00:29:08 Speaker 4

Scholars where I'm from and San Bernardino is called the Renaissance scholar, so it's called something different, and mainly every college. But for Community College, it's always Next up. Who wants to go to college here?

00:29:22 Speaker 6

OK.

00:29:23 Speaker 4

OK. OK. OK. That's about 90% of y'all. I like to see that. I like to see that. All right, next question, what advice would you give to youth currently and in the foster care system who want to be successful we going?

00:29:37 Speaker 4

To start with.

00:29:38 Speaker 4

You, Ruby.

00:29:39 Speaker 5

OK, I really enjoyed Kevan's speech earlier because it's exactly what I was thinking about as I was reading this this question because it's like.

00:29:53 Speaker 5

You don't need to accept the life that was given to you. You can change it, right? Like if that was your fate, then it's like it isn't your fate. You can. You're able to have that and like power to change it for yourself. And and that requires it's a lot of work. It's not just me saying that, right? It's requires a lot of discipline and perseverance.

00:30:13 Speaker 5

So even though like guess life is going to get hard, but you just have to push through and like these ladies have said, there are resources for you.

00:30:22 Speaker 5

And yeah, and just remember that you're not alone if community, right. If you're a believer in God like I know that God is there to have that covering over you and also with doing this panels like I would never have thought to do this because it's so out of my comfort zone but trying different things.

00:30:42 Speaker 5

You never know what opportunities you may say no to that you will lose out on so. Like if I never did this like, I would never have experienced all of you and being able to hear a lot of the panel, the Youth Panel of students and just being more open, you know, and and giving back right to community.

00:31:02 Speaker 4

I love that.

00:31:03 Speaker 4

No, straight up, right. There's going to be so many. My one of my main mantras in life is never say no to an opportunity. Even if I feel in my soul, there's no way I can accomplish that or there's no way I could do that. I still say yes. And usually it turns out really good. But you never know what could happen.

00:31:21 Speaker 4

You know, for my opportunities, so always take opportunities. Don't shy away from it. Janessa, your turn.

00:31:29 Speaker 2

I agree with that, mainly because it's like I never would have known my love for speaking if I hadn't done something uncomfortable and got up and spoken for my first time. But not only that, but just remembering that your situation is temporary. I know sometimes when things happen, especially in my case when I when I was in care.

00:31:49 Speaker 2

I felt like my life was consumed by foster care and like I never had control. Everyone else was doing everything for me and I never felt like like myself, and I never felt OK. I always I I would go to bed hoping that I would wake up and I would be in a dream.

00:32:06 Speaker 2

And so just remembering that this is temporary, this is not the only thing you will ever amount to. This is just a a place in a setting.

00:32:15 Speaker 2

Temporary like you said earlier, but just remembering that this is temporary and then leaning on resources asking for help, and it's OK to ask for help.

00:32:27 Speaker 4

Again, it is OK to ask for help.

00:32:31 Speaker 4

Your current situation is not your final situation. Remember that.

00:32:35 Speaker 4

Alright, same thing to you. What advice would you give to you currently in the foster care system? Who wants to be successful?

00:32:43 Speaker 3

I was a lot different than you, Kevan. You seen the wrong path and you were like, I'm going to avoid it. I seen the wrong path and I ran with it until I had no option but to leave it so.

00:32:58 Speaker 3

If you are currently in any state of your life where you feel like I've already messed up, I'm already done. I already ruined my life. It's over. There's nothing that I can do. I'm just going to be another statistic. That's not true. You can. It's never too late to turn. Turn your life around. You could always choose to do something different.

00:33:16 Speaker 3

Like even if no one else believes in you, like Kevin said earlier, believe in yourself and know that change is possible. Like it, it's it could come and it can't rain forever and.

00:33:27 Speaker 3

Whenever you do have kids, if you have kids, you're going to be able to give them something way much more and better than the life that you.

00:33:33 Speaker 3

Were given she got a wife. I love it. I love it.

00:33:38 Speaker 4

I love it.

00:33:40 Speaker 4

No, seriously. Right. The again, the cards that you are dealt, those are not the cards you have to play.

00:33:47 Speaker 4

Yeah, exactly. I'm gonna get a hold of me deck. I ain't going to be playing with.

00:33:47 Speaker 3

So for **** **** every time.

00:33:51 Speaker 4

But no, seriously, right, we all go through something. I don't know what you're what you're what you're going through in life. I don't know what your go through is, but we all go through, like, right now. I'm still going through stuff like life does not stop. I'm out of foster care. But hey, life still goes on. There's death in my family. There's things that come up. I I don't know where this as the older you get.

00:34:11 Speaker 4

There be this thing. All these bills just be coming in. I and I don't know where they be coming from.

00:34:16 Speaker 4

I get a random bill. I'm like bro, I thought this month I was gonna be able to splurge a little bit, but no, every single month there's a challenge. Every single year, there's a challenge. Every single day there's going to be a challenge in your life. But the question is, are you going to be able to step up to the plate? You know, I'm not supposed to be giving a motivational speech. All right. Next question all.

00:34:33 Speaker 4

Right. We will go with you.

00:34:36 Speaker 4

Janessa, I don't know why I keep wanting to call you Genesis. I don't know. Why. Alright, janessa, what would you tell your younger self?

00:34:47 Speaker 5

Yeah.

00:34:53 Speaker 4

They didn't know was asking this question, that's why.

00:34:54 Speaker 2

I was going to say.

00:34:56 Speaker 5

That was not in here.

00:34:57 Speaker 4

Not in there.

00:35:00 Speaker 2

That you that you're valued and you matter and you are. You're going to do so much more than what you think you're going to do for most of my life.

00:35:10 Speaker 2

I didn't think I would live until 18, so being 23 now I I know that I made it and I I'm still going. So I think just giving myself grace and saying like it's OK that.

00:35:23 Speaker 2

What you're going through, it's OK. You're going to be OK. You're valued and you're loved.

00:35:30 Speaker 4

Have you talked to me? What would you?

00:35:31 Speaker 4

Tell your younger self.

00:35:37 Speaker 5

Yeah, that it's going to be OK. And yes, this is a season. This is like a.

00:35:44 Speaker 5

This is your life, though, and you're able to. You have a will to change it and whatever outcome you want, you're able to sort, you know, seek after that right. And also as As for help, there's no no such thing as a dumb question.

00:36:04 Speaker 5

Even in front of uh, thousands of people it is OK because they may be asking the same question or they may want the same answers or the same help, but they're so afraid as well. So yeah.

00:36:21 Speaker 4

Cynthia, what would you tell you around yourself?

00:36:23 Speaker 3

I would give myself a really big hug. Oh, yeah. Like, I would really just like hug myself and just tell myself like.

00:36:32 Speaker 3

It's life gets better, man. It's it's going to be better and you're going to be something different like.

00:36:38 Speaker 3

Just keep holding on. Don't. Don't give up like.

00:36:41 Speaker 4

I like that. I like that.

00:36:44 Speaker 4

I'll give my younger self a **** whooping. Now I'm just.

00:36:47 Speaker 4

Kidding.

00:36:48 Speaker 4

All right. So I'm gonna do something different. If anybody has a quote, we can only do a few of these because time that we have left. But if anybody have a question to ask them, raise your hand and I'll come give you.

00:36:59 Speaker 4

The mic.

00:37:01 Speaker 4

Just one person.

00:37:04 Speaker 7

How many kids do you have?

00:37:07 Speaker 3

I have 4:00 I have 3 biological and then I became a foster mom in.

00:37:11 Speaker 3

December. That's what I'm talking about.

00:37:18 Speaker 4

How is parenting for you?

00:37:21 Speaker 3

Always hard, I work full time. I go to school full time and I'm a single mom of four kids, so it's hard, but it's the most rewarding feeling ever because I'm being able to give my kids the life that I didn't have and I'm able I'm breaking all the generational curses. My kids are not going to go.

00:37:36 Speaker 4

Boom. Just like that.

00:37:39 Speaker 3

Through what I went through.

00:37:40 Speaker 4

Any question right here? Anybody got a question?

00:37:43 Speaker 4

Right here this table.

00:37:45 Speaker 4

They said which one y'all got.

00:37:48 Speaker 4

You you got a question?

00:37:49 Speaker 3

What you gonna?

00:37:50 Speaker 3

Ask.

00:37:51 Speaker 2

Come on. I'm sorry. Don't you come.

00:37:52 Speaker 4

You got it. I'm gonna go right here.

00:37:56 Speaker 6

Take the opportunity ask.

00:37:59 Speaker 3

What is?

00:38:00

It.

00:38:02 Speaker 3

Does it ever get better as a teen parent in foster care?

00:38:07 Speaker 3

Like, yeah, I think that's a good question. Just because we didn't have the perfect example of what it's like to be a parent, don't ever sell yourself short. You're doing the best that you can. You're doing something that you didn't have an example of and be everything that you can for your kid. Everything that you wish that you would have had.

00:38:07

Right.

00:38:27 Speaker 3

Be it and it doesn't matter if everybody's against you. It doesn't matter if all all odds are against you. You just do what you have to do to make sure that.

00:38:34 Speaker 3

You give your baby something different.

00:38:39 Speaker 4

You might as well drop the mic and just walk off the stage cause.

00:38:41 Speaker 4

You killing it right now.

00:38:45 Speaker 8

So I wouldn't say I understand how it feels to to be a single parent, but my mom's a single parent with seven kids and you know, I'm the oldest. So I put a lot of pride into it, and I don't want to throw like a lot of heat towards you because all questions are going towards you. But.

00:39:00 Speaker 3

No, you're fine.

00:39:03 Speaker 8

How does it feel to give your kids the life?

00:39:05 Speaker 8

You never had.

00:39:10 Speaker 3

It's it's bittersweet, honestly. Like I I look at my children and there's a lot of things that my kids don't understand, like that my parenting styles and stuff like that. But as a child that felt like I wasn't protected or I was exposed to a lot of things that are very engaged and stuff like that.

00:39:29 Speaker 3

It's more than just the materialistic stuff. Like, yeah, I'm able they have a roof over their head. They're never going to experience homelessness. I'm able to buy them things and all this and that. But it's deeper than that. It's the love that I give.

00:39:40 Speaker 3

The the affection them knowing that they have somebody that cares them that's going to guide them. And no matter how many times they're they fall, mom's going to be there to pick you up and and it's hard. It's not easy, especially when you're a single parent. I'm I'm the youngest of a single mother, immigrant mother. I'm the youngest of eight and it's it's not easy being a parent. But knowing that my children will know and they'll be able to grow up and be like.

00:40:02 Speaker 3

Hey, Mom, did it, mom gots it. And if Mom could do it, I could do it then. That's that's all that matters.

00:40:12 Speaker 9

Alright.

00:40:13 Speaker 9

So what moment in your life did you realize you wanted to advocate for foster youth and come up here and talk to people like us?

00:40:20 Speaker 4

That's all three of.

00:40:22 Speaker 3

So I actually so when I went to the Dream Center, I was 17, right? I did their housing program at the age of 20. I was offered a peer support specialist position. So I started off as a peer support specialist and.

00:40:36 Speaker 3

And the first time that I ever got the opportunity to help, it wasn't even to speak the first time that I got the opportunity to help someone that was in a situation that I had once been in and I was able to help them navigate that and be like, hey, I understand it because it's different when you have other people telling you what to do or telling you that they know.

00:40:57 Speaker 3

What it's like when they have never experienced it. So when I was able to be that person in the room, that was like, hey, I've gone through this. I know what it feels like. Let's go through it together. Then I knew like, hey, this is what I'm passionate about. These full circle moments.

00:41:10 Speaker 3

Are.

00:41:11 Speaker 3

What fulfilled me?

00:41:20 Speaker 5

I think.

00:41:22 Speaker 5

Well, honestly, this is like a last minute thing to come here, but I willingly said it like, yes, like I'll do it, but I think I've always had, like a heart.

00:41:39 Speaker 5

Already that's OK.

00:41:46

Yeah.

00:41:51 Speaker 5

Sorry. I'm like, geez, OK, I've always had a heart for Foster you because, again, like Cynthia said, like, I don't want to.

00:42:01 Speaker 5

Have any child go through that but.

00:42:04 Speaker 5

The world is ugly and UM.

00:42:09 Speaker 5

There is no way you can protect children. You could only do so much, right? So me experiencing that myself. I want to be that advocate, since I think since I could remember as a nine year old. Like I don't want this to happen again for my little sister. I don't want this.

00:42:29 Speaker 5

Happened for any generations coming after me.

00:42:34 Speaker 5

And I want to be able to be there as a teacher like I've seen so many foster youth coming.

00:42:43 Speaker 5

Into the classrooms and having those disadvantages, and I'm able to, we guess like relate to them, but then also have that heart that no one took the time to know them and see them as what they are. They're not a label, it's not, oh, they're a foster, you know, it's just a foster kid, right. That's why they're acting like that.

00:43:04 Speaker 5

I really deeply think about how can I support this child where I'm at as a teacher, as a human. So yeah, that's overall that's.

00:43:16 Speaker 5

What I want?

00:43:16 Speaker 5

To I've always wanted to be, I guess.

00:43:21

Right.

00:43:25 Speaker 2

For me, I agree with Ruby. I do have a heart for helping. I've always had a heart for helping, but when I was homeless, I met someone named Allison who became like one of my biggest mentors and supporters, and she just poured into me when no one else had.

00:43:42 Speaker 2

Or when no one else thought I could do something better or greater with my life and.

00:43:47 Speaker 2

She really showed me that I could use my voice to help others, and I can just be inspiring and and help others in any way I can. So really just having that person to guide me and pour into me and just say that you're at your lowest. But I see something in you, even when I didn't see something in myself when I didn't support myself when I didn't believe in in living for another year, just having.

00:44:07 Speaker 2

That person say, like, I see something in you, and I know you can go further and I have big things for you and I know you're capable of big things. So having those people around you that really pour into you.

00:44:18 Speaker 2

And say, like, even though you're at your lowest, even though you're going through something really hard, I see something I see. I see a light. I see a fire, and I'm here to nurture and help it.

00:44:33 Speaker 4

Y'all's been.

00:44:34 Speaker 4

In fire up there, I don't know where you're at. He's over here. I'm over here.

00:44:41 Speaker 6

Alright. Our next question you had your hand raised, you sure?

00:44:50 Speaker 7

Oh, I was wondering if you guys ever felt different from other kids. Like while being in the foster system because I always had a felt like I was lower than other kids because they had a mom and a dad and the family to actually go home too.

00:45:08 Speaker 2

I'll check this one first.

00:45:10 Speaker 2

I think First off, of course I think especially when you're surrounded with youth who are like, oh, yeah, my mom's going to go take me to do this. And in the back of my mind, I'm like, my mom would never. She would never. So of course you're going to feel different. But also it's knowing that.

00:45:28 Speaker 2

You can build your own family. You can build your own.

00:45:31 Speaker 2

Community. You can build people in your life that Cynthia's like my sister and I've I've only known her for five years now. She's like my sister. I have a biological sister. But Cynthia is part of that family that I have built, and it's OK to be different. And it's OK to feel different because.

00:45:48 Speaker 2

They they will not know what you're going through and they will not understand it. But you have you and you can build that community that Kevin was talking about and build that family. So even though my sister may let me down, I know that I have Cynthia with me. I know that I have people around me that I've built a family blood. It does not always mean that that's what family.

00:46:09 Speaker 2

That's great.

00:46:15 Speaker 5

I think yes, of course. It felt different than everybody else and it was always hard to be like building my family tree because it was a little complicated because I have half siblings and then now I have my now guardians.

00:46:31 Speaker 5

And then their families. And then I would have to if they would, people would ask. Then it would just be like ohh.

00:46:39 Speaker 5

Yeah, I have two sets of parents, and then if they, you know, if they wanted to dig deeper, then it just made me sometimes uncomfortable to talk about that because I didn't know how much they could take. And I don't know how much I could take to share. So it's a little always a little hard to do that. And then I think.

00:46:59 Speaker 5

I like, like she said, that it was just always those people that were were surrounding me and supporting me. That is my family.

00:47:10 Speaker 3

You are going to feel different and it's OK. Your feelings are valid. Like it's OK to feel like you're not like everybody else because you're not. You're going through something that you shouldn't be having to go through, but because of somebody else's choices, you're going through it and it's OK to feel different, and it's OK to recognize those feelings and be like.

00:47:28 Speaker 3

You know what?

00:47:29 Speaker 3

I'm going through these struggles, but don't let that those struggles or those feelings consume you into giving up in your on yourself. Be like you know what, this is something that I'm going through. Yes, I feel different, but what am I going to do with this? I'm going to take it and I'm going to make something for myself. And I'm going to continue to break those generational curses, and I'm going to do some.

00:47:47 Speaker 3

I mean that my kids are never going to have to feel like this. My kids are never going to have to feel like they're different from any other kids, that they're going to school with.

00:47:58 Speaker 4

Hey, hey, hey, y'all, I don't know. Y'all. Just killing it today. I don't I.

00:48:03 Speaker 4

Don't know what got into.

00:48:04 Speaker 4

Y'all, but this is amazing. This is absolutely amazing. No, I totally agree.

00:48:09 Speaker 6

You.

00:48:12 Speaker 6

Ask the question, OK?

00:48:13 Speaker 4

OK, but I I I understand exactly how you feel. You know you feel different, but like how they said don't let all that define you because when you get older you have the choice to make different decisions and to make sure that the kids are the learnings that come behind you.

00:48:29 Speaker 4

Never have to go through that and I'm sure that's what all three of them are doing and you can actually see it by the way they speak. And by the way, they just.

00:48:37 Speaker 4

All of y'all. Yeah, talk to me.

00:48:41 Speaker 7

What age did you have your first kid at?

00:48:45 Speaker 4

She said earlier.

00:48:46 Speaker 3

I was 15. I was 15 when I had my first child. I had.

00:48:48 Speaker 5

Yeah.

00:48:50 Speaker 3

My daughter at.

00:48:51 Speaker 3

15 huh. My oldest is 8 beautiful, amazing little girl. Love that girl to death. She changed my life for the better counselors back there like I was pregnant.

00:49:03 Speaker 3

You know, went there with with Evelette and my counselor actually ended up offering to be my foster parent and.

00:49:12 Speaker 3

Did a lot for me. She's back there.

00:49:15 Speaker 4

Raise your hand. OK. OK. She. Now that's when we talk. It might working. Hello, test. Oh, yeah. Now that's what I'm talking about. Always tell adults leave with the heart filled with love. Literally. My God. Mom is my. I guess you could call her counselor at Cal State San Marino.

00:49:34 Speaker 4

Like one day I just went up to. I was like, look, are we gonna make this?Happen or what? Straight up. But it's people like that, right? And so that definitely you are going beyond than what your job is, even calling you to do. So. Thank you so much for that. Do we have time for one more question or one more question?

00:49:55 Speaker 4

OK, I'm nervous.

00:50:00

Is there anything that you regretted in your life for?

00:50:05 Speaker 4

That's good. I like that. Is there anything you regretted in your life?

00:50:11 Speaker 3

Yeah, there's a lot of things.

00:50:12 Speaker 3

But.

00:50:14 Speaker 3

I just. I take.

00:50:22 Speaker 4

Anything you could take back that you wish like?

00:50:23 Speaker 3

No, no, because everything that I have gone through every decision that I have made has molded me into the person that I am today, into the woman that I am today and to the mother that I am today. The advocate that I get to be today, all my struggles, all the adversity that I had to face, made me who I am.

00:50:39 Speaker 3

Because of that, have I made bad choices? Have I done a lot of things that I wasn't supposed to do? Yes, but they're not ills. They're lessons like they're you make what you can out of your situation and you just continue to learn and grow.

00:50:56 Speaker 4

Y'all cooking.

00:50:57 Speaker 4

Let her cook seen that video, OK.

00:51:02 Speaker 5

I was going to say the same thing that you said because it's like I don't regret anything. Yes, I did mistakes and I'm like, oh Dang, I should not have said that or shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't.

00:51:11 Speaker 5

Have went over there.

00:51:13 Speaker 5

But yeah, it made me who I am and it helped me grow for the better and be yeah.

00:51:24 Speaker 2

The exact same answer, like she said, they're not. They're not elves, they're lessons. So a different kind of though, but they they are definitely lessons and like, I do wish that I I didn't have to do all the bad things that I did to get here, but it wouldn't have made me who I am and it wouldn't have led me here.

00:51:29 Speaker 3

Losses or losses?

00:51:42 Speaker 2

Speak in front of you to to do what I do.

00:51:46 Speaker 5

I just want to say.

00:51:49 Speaker 5

And as like these ladies have said, like they've learned from those lessons, but let those, those those failures define you like, yes, like, oh, like I messed up over here. But this is that doesn't mean you are like a so you are a failure. You are a you know a nobody or you are yeah you're terrible.

00:52:08 Speaker 5

But that doesn't mean any like. That's not that saying that like you're able to get up, you know, be resilient and where you're at.

00:52:18 Speaker 3

Can I just add one thing, just one thing.

00:52:23 Speaker 4

I'm just kidding.

00:52:24 Speaker 3

Don't have a kid at a young age like I wish somebody would have told me that. OK, like I had it. I had a kid at a young age and I did something. You already have a kid. OK, you already have a kid, you know, make the best out of your situation. But if be smart. Wait. Go to school. Get an education. Don't. Don't do that. Don't do that.

00:52:42 Speaker 7

So.

00:52:42 Speaker 3

Just.

00:52:44 Speaker 4

So 6/7 OK wow.

00:52:52 Speaker 4

That was probably the best panel.

00:52:56 Speaker 4

I have ever moderated for the answers that you guys gave the experience. The lessons second to.

00:53:05 Speaker 4

So we are bringing this to a close. I just want to say thank you because it's not, it's not easy. I mean, y'all made it seem easy. I'm. I'm just saying, but it's not easy getting up here, being very vulnerable, sharing your tears and also sharing some of the deepest parts of you. So for you so they can understand and they can learn from it. So just thank you so much.

00:53:25 Speaker 4

Can we all like stand up, give them round applause like, cheer them on? Come on, get out. Come on, guys.

00:53:45 Speaker 6

Thanks.

00:53:46 Speaker 3

Thank you. Come on.

00:53:53 Speaker 2

Well, that's it for this episode of Youth Voice amplified. If you enjoy it, what you heard and want to support the show, please take a moment and leave us a positive review on your favorite podcast player. It will help us spread awareness of the podcast and find a listen.

00:54:06 Speaker 2

And if you're looking for our show notes or recommended resources for any of our episodes, please visit our website at www.kern.org/YVa.

00:54:14 Speaker 2

A.

00:54:14 Speaker 2

If you have any questions, comments, concerns or would like to recommend the topic or guest, you can e-mail us at youthvoiceamplified@gmail.com. Join us for our next episode when Brian and I sit down with our next youth storyteller.

00:54:26 Speaker 2

Thanks for listening and see you next time.

00:54:32 Speaker 10

Youth voice amplified is a youth LED project at the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office. Created, produced and hosted by Janessa Fisher and Brian Johnson with writing, research, and additional production support by Kim Silva, Allison Baptist, and the Kern educational television.

00:54:49 Speaker 10

Network major funding for the youth Force Amplified Podcast is provided by the student achievement and Support Division of the California Department of Education through the Homeless Innovative program grants. Thanks for listening.

 

 

 

 


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