She/Her
7 years in care
Brianna (Bri) has over 15 years of experience within the child welfare system, having spent seven years in foster care across eight placements in Iowa. She has become a passionate advocate for policy change, particularly focusing on extending foster care to age 21 and improving support for youth in transition. Bri has collaborated with Iowa's National Youth in Transition Database team to implement data-driven practices and has established direct support calls to connect youth with resources. She has previously served as the coordinator for the State of Iowa's Youth Advisory Council & Iowa Youth Congress, helping them to create legislation for Iowa youth. Currently, she is finishing her final year in political science and pre-law and recently began a new role as program assistant with a philanthropic foundation that invests in strengthening community well-being by addressing social determinants of health. Bri is dedicated to improving the lives of others, having facilitated youth engagement initiatives, co-presented at the Iowa Youth Engagement Summit, advocated and informed for legislation both nationally and locally, and represented Iowa in panels advocating for Chafee legislation in Washington, D.C. Her future aspirations include continuing her advocacy for older youth and youth homelessness, ultimately aiming for a political office where she can further advance legislative change and show the importance of lived experience in decision making spaces.
