Monisha entered the foster care system during her teen years and spent 5 years in care. She switched from home to home, wondering whether or not she was ever going to be able to settle down. Monisha felt isolated from friends and family, and struggled with the lack of control she had over her life.
She experienced multiple placements and social workers. Marcelina has lived on her own since seventeen, when she began college young and started working to support herself. She graduated from the University of California, Davis with a bachelor s degree in Sociology.
She is now working on her master s degree in Education at the University of Phoenix. After Monisha completes her master s degree she plans to pursue a PhD in Ethnic Studies. She plans to teach middle school English and eventually become an African American studies professor.
Of the positive side of being in care, Monish, says “The foster care system has taught me strength in a way I would have never learned anywhere else. It has taught me that there are wonderful people who are willing to help you without needing something in return. I look back on all my experiences in the foster care system and smile at all the assistance strangers (who are now friends) have provided me with over the years.”
Monisha spent much of her time as an undergrad working for and with underrepresented, under served, marginalized communities including serving as an African Diaspora intern for the Cross cultural center, chair of the Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission, President of the Black Student Union, and the Chair of Ethnic Graduation Celebration at the University of California, Davis.
Monisha currently operates her own tutoring center at Bret Harte Elementary School. She is dedicated to transforming struggling young readers from low-income communities into confident readers and recruits and trains community volunteers to work one-on-one with students. In her spare time, she volunteers for organizations such as the Girls and Boys Club.
