Passion Ray

Passion entered foster care at the age of fourteen and aged out four years later. She was placed in two group homes and one foster home. Passion’s experience was difficult as she felt few staff actually cared about her. However, she views her time in care as a positive experience because it made her to the person she is today. Since 2006 Passion has been advocating for changes in the foster care system. She works with the Youth Alumni Council in her area to hold trainings, provide staff support and actively participate in the new laws that are coming to Tennessee that will effect current foster youth. The hardest obstacle she had to overcome in foster care was being place into the state’s custody. Upon exiting the system she left with the desire to help others who had faced the same issues she had. Passion has been successfully living on her own for the past three years. She is heading to Nashville Technical College this fall so she can further her education and learn to become a computer technician. Passion discovered the power of her voice a little too late to help herself in the system, but now she uses that motivation to help others who are in similar situations. Some of Passion's many accomplishments were featured in WBIR.com on 6/20/09.