Pennsylvania

Jeramaya Gramby Pennsylvania’s Foster Care System 19 years old He/him/his Jeramaya is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and attends Lehigh University, majoring in Finance. He is a Peer Mentor at Lehigh University, in addition to being a member of several clubs and organizations at school. He entered care at the age of... Read more

Anahi Figueroa-Martinez, 19, Pennsylvania's Foster Care System Anahi spent 9 years in foster care and experienced a multitude of placements. Anahi is a big advocate for juvenile justice. She has been a member of the group, Juveniles for Justice through the Juvenile Law Center in Philadelphia, PA, for the last... Read more

Lillian Crossley, 20, Pennsylvania’s Foster Care System Experienced several residential placements. After a bad experience with a foster home, she preferred being in residential placements. Lillian is proud that she graduated high school and is now in her sophomore year of college at Kutztown University. She is studying General Psychology... Read more

Levi Wentz spent 5 years in foster care in the state of Pennsylvania’s Child welfare system while taking care of his brother and sister. He is proud to have stayed on the honor roll throughout middle school, despite having to work extra hard to catch up after changes in placement... Read more

5 years in Pennsylvania's child welfare system 19 years old She/Her/Hers & They/Them/Theirs Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Ameris is a queer Black organizer who experienced 5 years of care in Pennsylvania. While in care, she experienced one foster home placement where her parents were two White lesbian women. Previously, Ameris attended Pittsburgh... Read more

Briana Granese was placed in the foster system at the age of twelve in Pennsylvania. Things for her seemed to have went from bad to worse until she turned seventeen. During the first five years in foster care, she went through a lot of struggles and it wasn’t until she... Read more

Phyllis Wood has spent 18 years in the Pennsylvania (PA) Foster care system. Phyllis experienced multiple foster placements during her time in care. At 18, Phyllis left foster care, ending up in a homeless shelter where she was introduced to the PA Youth Advisory Board (YAB). One of her favorite... Read more

Michael Teresa Mellifera is an undergraduate junior currently studying at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. She is majoring in Philosophy and double minoring in Theology and Islamic World Studies. Ms. Mellifera’s studies so far have largely focused on the languages, literatures, philosophies, and intellectual histories of Christianity... Read more

7 years In Pennsylvania Foster care System Ramond A Nelson's Life story is the true definition of perseverance. Ramond was born and raised in the city of Pittsburgh to a single mother of three boys. Early on Ramond's Mother went through a series of mental health issues that became unsafe... Read more

Council term: 2016-2018 NicoLee spent several years in kinship and foster care, including group homes until she aged out. She remembers having several case workers, child advocates and CASA volunteers during her foster care experience. NicoLee was impacted by the lack of control she was allowed to have over her... Read more