As Eli Wiesel once said “We must whisper, we must shout, we must not be silent.” Rest assured Mr.Wiesel, Ryan Cummings is listening!
With humility and passion and a sense of duty, Ryan Cummings has shaped the future of many of his brothers and sisters in foster care. His initiative and persistence recently brought him to Washington D.C. where he met with Congressman Dave Reichert (R-WA) and Jim McDermot (D-WA) to discuss why federal finance reform is important as it pertains to Title IV-E waiver and the state’s ability to use funds for preventative services. Ryan feels that his voice could potentially help youth in vulnerable situations reach stability in a more timely manner. “The past seven years of advocating have forever reshaped my life and have helped given me closure on my own experience in care. I believe that my experience made me stronger and with that strength I have a duty to prevent more innocent children from suffering because of flaws the system continues to overlook.”
After eleven years in foster care and bouncing around a half dozen homes with his biological sister, Ryan has entered Seattle University where he was awarded the prestigious Governors Scholarship in 2011. He is majoring in Networking and Computer Security. He would like to join the US Special Forces. But in the meantime his work and volunteer hours at his youth board Passion to Action, The Washington State Supreme Court Commission for Foster Youth, and Mockingbird, will keep him sufficiently busy.
