Hooray! I did it! I am so glad to have walked across the stage during the class of 2010 Wharton High School graduation. I remember wondering what this day would be like and I am happy to say that the excitement I felt was just like I imagined it!
I turned 18 in May and moved into my first apartment just four days before my high school graduation. It has been such a busy and overwhelming month that I have to take a minute to give thanks to those that helped me accomplish this goal.
I loved being part of the Teen Wrap Program and having an amazing foster mom - Ms. Cookie Middleton! She was always there to give me advice, encourage me and push me to follow my dreams. I appreciated how she accepted my grandmother, mother and relatives as part of who I am. Words cannot explain how it felt to look up in the bleachers to see my foster mom, my biological mom, grandma, cousins, boyfriend and siblings all cheering for me!
Thank you to Hillsborough Kids for supporting our Teen Wrap plan that allowed me to receive tools and support to make it through my senior year and to also be ready with the needed items to move in to my apartment. Thank you to Camelot’s Independent Living Services and my cool FDS worker who always believed in me, taught me Life Skills and provided me with opportunities to give back through the Youth Empowerment Board.
Being in foster care and away from family is hard but having the support of people who really care and push you to reach your dreams sure helps. Thank you for all your support - I know I will be successful in life!
Danielle M.
High School Graduate and Teen Wrap Program Participant