Permanently removed from her biological mother's care at 10 years of age and removed from her father's care at age 11, Sophie Sandin experienced over 23 different placements including kinship care, treatment centers, group homes, emergency, temporary and long-term foster care homes, and pre-adoptive homes. At the age of 17, Sophie was adopted from the foster care system. She was adopted by a single mom who has helped her grow and mature as she works to overcome her past. Because of the abuse she suffered as a child and the effect of frequent, multiple placements; Sophie has to work extremely hard to advocate for and to manage her mental and physical health, as well as her education in order to be successful. Along with participating in the 2016 Congressional Foster Youth Shadow Program, Sophie volunteers in her hometown and has participated in 2 short-term mission trips to Nicaragua, two mission trips to reach out to prisoners or former prisoners, and a trip to Montana to help on the Crow Reservation. She has also helped intern at an adoption day camp, and continues to speak at adoption training's, mental health/social work training's, and webinars. It is a passion that she has been pursuing for the last 6 years.
With a 3.5-grade point average, Sophie will begin her senior year of college pursuing a degree in Social Work. As a social worker, she will be most interested in becoming a child-specific recruiter who matches children with forever homes and educates lawmakers and community members about foster care issues. Because of her experience in care, Sophie wants to promote and advocate for services for older foster youth such as therapy, support groups, day programs, camps and recruitment of foster and adoptive families. With personal goals of traveling to other countries to help with poverty and learning different cultures and camping at every Minnesota state park, Sophie hopes be an adoptive parent herself one day.