At the age of 14, Laura Lomeli was placed in foster care and for the first time, felt safe. Two years later and against her pleas, she was reunified with her biological mother. Less than six months later, Laura's mother signed away her parental rights choosing her boyfriend over her daughter, and Laura was placed back into foster care. A total of seven years in care, she experienced 17 foster homes, three group homes, and more schools than those numbers combined. Among the mix of good and bad foster home experiences, Laura believes the system saved her life. Although she has aged-out of foster care, Laura has the support of a mentor she now call "Mom" and has inherited cousins, uncles, aunts and grandparents. She participated in the 2016 Congressional Foster Youth Shadow Program to learn more about government, system dynamics and engage with her Congressional member for the first time!
Currently, Laura is a student at Citrus College majoring in social behavioral science to pursue a career in law enforcement or social work. Her goals are to earn a Master's degree in psychology and work with struggling youth, as well as veterans. One day, Laura would like to buy a home and start a family. A very outgoing and passionate individual, Laura would like to be the voice for other foster youth and help them to build healthy relationships.
