Nijeria Peterson
4 years in Michigan’s Foster Care System
20 years old
She/Her/Hers
Nijeria experienced four years in foster care in the state of Michigan. She is a first-generation college student studying at Western Michigan University majoring in Business Law, working at Foster Club, and planning for law school. One thing she would like people to know about the foster care experience is there are others in the system and around it to support and love you through difficult times. The way Nijeria has served her community is by helping change foster care policies and support her peers. Nijeria has been honored with foster care scholarships and opportunities to advocate for what matters to her. Her future plans are to graduate from law school and become a practicing attorney who fights for those in the foster care/juvenile systems and helps change policy & law surrounding the foster care system.
Nijeria’s comfort food is crab legs because she loves seafood. When life is tough, she enjoys spending time with friends and watching movies/tv-shows that she can get lost in. When life is going really well, she celebrates by going to her favorite restaurants and spending time with her family because they make her all the happier. Nijeria believes, “A risk worth taking is living life on your own terms because no one else lives this life for you.”
A quote she tries to live by is a daily affirmation. “I say to myself, I believe in you, I affirm you, and I see the great potential in you. This helps me know that my validation comes from within. Some advice I would give a young person in the foster care system is to never give up on yourself, even when others do. I believe in you, I affirm you, and I see great potential in you.”
