Tegan G
She/Her/Hers
17 Years Old
Ohio
“As someone who has been in the system and can give an inside perspective of how things work, I plan on becoming an activist for foster kids rights and fixing our broken system. The system is all we have, and if it's broken, what are we?”
Tegan embodies leadership as a peer mentor for struggling youth at two schools in her area. With her parents, she has set up and helps run both a foster care support group and a foster closet, which provides foster families in need with food, clothes, toys, and other supplies.
Tegan also works in a nursing home and has acquired her State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA) certification. She plans to go to nursing school.
From Tegan’s experience, better communication is one of the most important improvements the foster care system needs. She knows that negative stigmas against young people in care, which are sometimes even held by case workers, means that the system doesn’t always do a good job of listening to young people. To help make this better, Tegan plans to publish a book and engage in public speaking about her experiences in foster care.
