Tamara Vest

9 years in Foster Care

25 years old

She/her/hers

Tamara Vest graduated summa cum laude with departmental honors from the University of Kentucky in 2020, and is currently working toward her Master of Social Work degree. She intends to obtain her LCSW and open up her own counseling practice, and in the future would like to run for political office. Tamara is an active policy advocate, and looks for opportunities to get involved in promoting policies that support the community and opposing those that deter progress.

As a volunteer in her community, Tamara worked for charity events to help western Kentucky tornado victims, as well as devoting time at the Kentucky Blood Center. She served as chairperson for her state’s Youth Leadership Council for three years, and was able to lead her team in policy victories that made it possible for more current and former foster and adoptive youth to get the funding they need to attend college. Tamara now serves in a supervisor role for this council, and helps train members to utilize community resources and find opportunities for foster youth.

Tamara spent about nine years in foster care. Her experience in the foster care system taught her to continue striving for greatness every day, and that she should always be open to new opportunities that come along. In foster care, Tamara realized that many of the barriers she faced were the products of circumstances beyond her control, and that understanding has motivated her to pursue a career in social work. She wishes to help others learn to overcome obstacles, and to use her experience to influence policy in a way that makes a big impact on the foster community.

State(s)
Team(s) or Cohort(s)
2022 Outstanding Young Leaders
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