Prior to the implementation of Assembly Bill 12, Nancy spent 17 years in the foster care system; her 18th birthday and high school graduation led to her emancipation. Aging out of the foster care system left her completely unprepared for adulthood. As a result of her perseverance, hard work, and guidance of supportive adults, she slowly began to build a life for herself while pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM). From her experience with the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), ACE Scholars, and the non-profit organization, Just in Time, Nancy has developed a concrete understanding of services available to former foster youth and the importance of advocating for current and former foster youth.
Professionally, Nancy took a more active role towards advocacy with her LEAP Ambassadors from Just in Time at the Fostering Change Conference organized by Foster Youth in Action in 2015. Together, they facilitated a workshop about the importance of Storytelling which shares commonalities with Strategic Sharing. In lieu of advocating for foster youth, she strives to gather more experience to continue facilitating and inspiring other youth to expedite change to the foster care system.
Currently, Nancy is employed full-time at the non-profit organization, Jewish Family Service. Her long term goal is to attend graduate school to obtain a degree in youth counseling in the academic environment.
