Rose entered the foster care system at age 11. She stayed in several group homes before moving into the first of 2 foster homes at age 15. Living in these settings taught Rose about the value of teamwork, and the importance of accepting people's differences.
While Rose had a lot of challenges in the system, she really enjoyed her second foster home. Said Rose, “My second home was great and I stayed there until I moved away for college. I really looked up to my foster mom, and felt comfortable going to her for advice. She is still an active part of my life.”
In 2009, she utilized her Spanish speaking skills by volunteering with her Spanish teacher's church to travel to Mexico for a mission trip. She served as an interpreter, communicating between the residents of the town and the church group. Together they worked to transform an old house into new orphanage.
Said Rose about her trip, “This trip taught me a lot about myself, and life, and it truly was a life-changing experience for me.” I think everyone agrees that role models are important, and Rose has found a wonderful model in an uncle who is a paraplegic.
Says Rose, “His disability requires that he receive special care and precautions, but he doesn't let that get in the way of him achieving his goals and being successful.” Rose is currently going to college in at the University of Montana, where she is taking class to prepare for a career in the medical field. While in high school, she was busy with theatre volleyball, basketball, and tennis, but now she spend a lot of her spare time enjoying outdoor activities, such as hiking, snow shoeing, snowboarding, golfing, and biking.
