THE NITTY GRITTY
Tameka and her brother and sister were removed from their biological home when Tameka was 12. Tameka’s sister had attempted suicide, which led the county to determine their biological home wasn’t safe. Tameka and her brother were sent to live with their paternal grandmother, and Tameka’s sister was sent to live with her maternal grandmother.

Tameka believed it would all be temporary—maybe it would last six months or so—but it turned out to not be: her mother wouldn’t even attend the parenting classes that she had to take to have Tameka and her siblings returned.

There were no other kin who could take Tameka and her siblings: Tameka’s father had died on her ninth birthday, and Tameka’s grandmother wasn't able to keep the kids for very long, so they were moved to a foster home in Geauga County. Tameka was then moved to six different foster homes until she was adopted by her last foster family, with whom she lived for two years before attending college. Tameka’s adoptive mother, Mrs. May, was her high school English teacher with whom Tameka confided all of her stories and feelings. When Tameka’s grades started to slip, Mrs. May encouraged her to stay on top of her school work.

All of Tameka’s hard work paid off: she got straight As her Junior and Senior years of high school and, as a result, qualified for many scholarships and was accepted at many schools.

ACHIEVEMENTS
Tameka was third in her high school graduating class and received a full, four-year academic scholarship to Cleveland State University and graduated from there in 2002 in just three years with a double major in Sociology/Criminology and Urban Studies w/concentration in Criminal Justice.

Tameka was also very involved in school and was a member of or had a leadership position in several organizations, including the Pre-Law Society, the Criminal Justice and Criminology Society, the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, the American Humanics Program, the Black Student Union, student government, and many more.

CURRENT WORK
ATameka is working this summer doing an internship at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland until the fall when she will attend graduate school to pursue a Master’s Degree in Sociology at Cleveland State University.

Tameka is currently a member of the National Foster Youth Advisory Council. She also speaks on teen panels telling other youths and prospective foster/adoptive parents her story.

Tameka is currently developing a local youth advisory council with the Department of Child and Family Services in Cleveland, Ohio.

PLANS FOR FUTURE
Tameka plans to attend law school when she finishes her Master’s Degree.

INSPIRATION
Tameka considers God and her adoptive parents her inspiration, and of course, HERSELF! She says, "I’ve just always been into school, and my future has always been important to me. I’ve never been the type to use my foster care experience as a reason to fail—I use it as a reason to succeed."

ADVICE TO YOUTH TRANSITIONING INTO ADULTHOOD
"Try to identify a support person—someone you can turn to—and really utilize them. Believe it or not, they do want you to call."

"Shoot for your dreams. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. There were times in my life someone told me I couldn’t do something, and I believed them. Looking back now, I shouldn’t have believed them.

FAVORITE BOOKS
> "There is hope for each and every one of us. Don’t use foster care as an excuse."
> "Seek out mentors that you can be open and honest with."
> "Education is very important."