CHARLEE Success Stories Ruth Ruth, a 19 year old freshman at Florida International University didn’t always see the light at the end of the tunnel. At the age of 10 she was pulled by the Department of Children and Families from her abusive home and put into the foster care system. For nine months Ruth was shuffled between shelters and foster homes when finally she found comfort when she was placed with CHARLEE in our Gladstone Center for Girls. After a nine months stay at Gladstone, Ruth was moved to a DCF home where she thought she’d found solace and stability. Three years later Ruth was moved back to Gladstone when it was revealed that her younger sister, who was housed at the same location, was being mistreated. Finally after a short period of time, Ruth moved to the Kendallwood Group Home, where she after time she felt safe, but began to search for a sense of self. All the while Ruth attended Miami Killian Senior High School where she was a member of the soccer and softball teams, the captain of the rifle team and was a member of ROTC. She excelled in both her extracurricular activities and her school work which prompted CHARLEE to allow her to enter the Independent Living Program at just 15. Ruth loved her new found independence, but with that came responsibility for which she just wasn’t ready. CHARLEE pulled Ruth from the ILP program after she began getting into trouble. Ruth realized after being placed back into a group home, that she was lucky to have found stability and was given another chance to continue her education and eventually go to college. Now at 19 years old, Ruth is back with her parents and living the life she always dreamrd of. Having just graduated from High School with honors, Ruth was a member of the National Honor Society, number 116 in her class of 800 and graduated with a 4.3 GPA. Evidence that Ruth learned the importance of responsibility and that hard work does pay off. Ruth received the Bright Future Scholarship for 75% of her college tuition. Last summer Ruth entered FIU as a freshman and is now studying Exercise Physiology. During her first college classes, Ruth decided she needed something to get involved in outside of school. So she joined the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training Program where she would raise money for the charity while making a commitment to run the San Francisco marathon. This wasn’t a bad way to get to the west coast to visit some friends too! After six months of training and befriending her team Mentor – a Leukemia survivor – the experience not only opened her eyes but taught her that there are other’s out there that have hardships too and that with dedication and a little hard work she can accomplish anything that stands in her way. Crossing the finish-line in San Francisco was a big accomplishment in Ruth’s life. Looking ahead toward her college graduation in Spring of 09’, Ruth is working daily toward her dream of becoming an Aerospace Physiologist. Julia Julia never allowed a bump in the road from preventing her to reach her dreams. She was born in Los Angeles, California and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey, when at the age of 14, Julia and her family of four moved to Miami. Two years later when other youth were stressed about boyfriends, prom and homework, Julia was worrying about how she was going to assist her mother in financially supporting and caring for her younger siblings. Her worry was alleviated when the Department of Children and Families removed her and her younger siblings from their home and placed them into foster care. Julia gradually adjusted to her new placement. She attended Coral Gables Senior High School, began to study hard and joined the school’s debate team. In addition, Julia quickly became her own foster care advocate. Upon the privatization of Child Welfare, Julia requested that she be transferred to CHARLEE because she wanted to have quality service and care she knew she deserved. Julia has been in the CHARLEE Independent Living Program ever since. Now at 20 years of age and a full time undergraduate student at Miami Dade College, Julia is pursuing a pre-law degree and plans to attend law school. Her dream is to become a family lawyer and represent other foster youth like herself. Julia is currently a member of an emerging statewide organization called Florida Youth SHINE. Florida Youth SHINE, which Julia helped to establish, is an advocacy group of current and former foster youth who discuss concerns in the foster system and then bring their ideas to child welfare leaders, as well as, local and state legislative leaders in order to educate and initiate positive change for youth in the foster care system. Julia is employed by Lawyers for Children America as a youth organizer for the Miami Chapter of Florida Youth SHINE and also works with Lawyers for Children America to help train pro-bono attorneys to become more effective advocates for their foster youth clients. This past fall with the help of her case manager and her attorney, Julia applied to the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute and was accepted to become a 2007 Congressional Foster Youth Intern in Washington, D.C. The Congressional Foster Youth Internship (FYI) Program is a prestigious, highly selective program that provides talented college students who have been in foster care with an opportunity to intern for Congressional offices during the summer. The FYI Program raises awareness about the foster care system by bringing members of Congress in direct contact with former foster youth. Supplemental to the interns’ work on Capitol Hill, the program enhances the experiences of the interns by providing professional training and an educational retreat. The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute provides a stipend, covering all housing and travel expenses, and acts as an ongoing support network for the FYI program participants. As a result of her time in Washington, Julia will be able to bring her valuable experience back to her fellow members of Florida Youth SHINE. After completing the internship, Julia plans to continue to pursue her goal of becoming a stronger foster youth advocate and a future lawyer for foster youth and families in Miami. Jennifer It's exhausting just to look at Jennifer schedule for the week! But this gorgeous young woman, full of boundless energy and determination, does not let one minute of time go to waste. Now a student at Miami-Dade College (MDC), Jennifer came to CHARLEE at the age of 15. Five years later, she says that what she loves about CHARLEE the most is that everyone here cares. Now that she has overcome adversity, she is pursuing a career in helping others. Her immediate goal is to finish a dual major in Business & Public Administration and become an FBI agent. "I know what to look for," she says astutely. "Many things go unnoticed, but I know the signs in people". It's easy to see why her second goal is a career in Psychology. Back to that busy schedule. Jennifer hopes to graduate with her Associates degree later this year. She's already looking ahead, weighing the options of Barry University and Florida International University where she hopes to attain her Bachelor's degree in Public Administration to pursue that FBI career. She juggles her studies with a job at MDCC as a Transcripts coordinator and participates in lots of extra curricular activities. From serving as an Ambassador for MDC, to the Business Club, church choir and volunteering Thursday evenings at a homeless shelter in downtown Miami. Jennifer has also started volunteering at the CHARLEE offices. For fun, she is a voracious reader who loves to consume books. She's also joined the "Modelle" club at MDCC (a fashion modeling group). Although modeling is fun, she's quick to say that it is "…not a career option, I have to study first". Her beauty, inner AND outer, will serve her well in any career she sets her sights on! Congratulations, Jennifer!