New York

Cody Rivera

Cody spent 12 years in New York City's foster care system Observe, Understand, and Adapt. That is how 21-year- old Cody Rivera explains his twelve years in the New York State Foster Care System. Observing, understanding, and adapting: to different people and their cultural backgrounds, and their different styles of... Read more

2016 All-Stars

Anthony (Tony) Turner

New York

Tony spent 7 years in New York’s foster care system. Tony spent seven years in New York’s foster care system and is an excellent advocate and voice for foster youth and other youth who are involved with various child serving systems. While attending Columbia University, Tony is employed as a... Read more

2016 Outstanding Young Leaders

Shavonn Smith

New York

Ms. Smith is a fierce advocate for children and families and recent graduate from John Jay College. She is currently employed as a Career Navigator for Goodwill Human Service Resources helping people in need to live independently, earn wages and achieve their dreams. Shavonn spent eighteen years in the New... Read more

2015 All-Stars

Council Member - Past

Donald Fields

New York

Donald Fields spent 20 years in New York's foster care system Donald has been in numerous foster care facilities from the age of 3 weeks old, including group homes, foster homes and other facilities. He is passionate about improving the system, and feels that “it is up to us to... Read more

2015 Outstanding Young Leaders

Ashley Rivera

New York

Ashley had been removed from a home of addiction and abuse; she spent 11 years in New York’s foster care system. Despite her circumstances she kept her head up and found a passion in advocacy. In her words: “Fortunately I had amazing foster parents, people that changed my life and... Read more

2015 Outstanding Young Leaders

Hasani Callwood

New York

Hasani Callwood spent 4 years in New York's foster care system. Since the age of 17, Hassani has been a resident of the children's village in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Initially he struggled to adapt to being away from loved ones to and trust others, but this dissipated quickly. He... Read more

2015 Outstanding Young Leaders

Simone Hines

New York

Simone Hines spent time in New York's foster care system. At times, perspective can be all we have to keep our faith in eachother. Simone Hines knows that the “purpose of the foster care system is to provide” for youth when their biological parents cannot. But what happens when that... Read more

2014 Outstanding Young Leaders

Raven Profit

New York

Raven Profit spent time in New York's foster care system. Raven Profit entered the system after her mom was diagnosed with a mental illness. Like many youth who enter the system she had to learn, independently, how to not let her personal issues get in the way of her goals,... Read more

2014 Outstanding Young Leaders

Cherokee Cheatham

New York

Cherokee Cheatham spent 7 years in New York's foster care system There are people that talk, people that listen, and people that act. When you come across someone that can do all three, then you have identified a budding leader. Cherokee Cheatham is one of those people. At age 17,... Read more

2013 Outstanding Young Leaders

Dereon W.

New York

Dereon spent six years in New York’s foster care system, experiencing three different placements during that time. Since then, Nineteen-year-old Dereon has transitioned to living independently, found and completed his first semester at a college that fit his needs and academic and athletic ability, and remained active in his local... Read more

2012 Outstanding Young Leaders

New York

Cody Rivera

Anthony (Tony) Turner

Shavonn Smith

Donald Fields

Ashley Rivera

Hasani Callwood

Simone Hines

Raven Profit

Cherokee Cheatham

Dereon W.

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