Imagine sitting in a room full of Members of Congress with the First Lady at the table and instead of just telling your story, you tell them what they need to do.

That's exactly what Jocelyn Fetting did.

Jocelyn is 22, from Illinois, and one of FosterClub's Lived Experience (LEx) Leaders. On April 15, she spoke at a Congressional Roundtable hosted by the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee alongside First Lady Melania Trump. The focus: how the federal government can better support young people aging out of foster care. 

Jocelyn entered care at 12 after losing her parents. She graduated high school with honors and earned both a bachelor's and master's degree. But behind that success, she worked three jobs in college just to cover basics like food and rides to visit her younger siblings. Help existed; she just couldn't get to it.

"Support existed, but it was out of reach," she told lawmakers. "Not because I didn't need it, but because no one ensured I could access it."

Fellow LEx Leader, Jaydan Martinez, a college freshman from Texas who entered care at age 6, backed her up: 

"Success for a foster youth shouldn't be a result of luck. It should be a result of opportunity."

Together, they pushed Congress to pass each of six bipartisan bills that would make college more affordable, build real career paths, and keep siblings and families connected. They said lawmakers need to keep listening to young people like them if they want to make better policy.

"Foster youth are not broken — we are ready," Jocelyn said. "But readiness is not the problem — access and having people in our corner is."

🎥 You can watch Jocelyn and Jaydan in action here. 

If you're in foster care right now, know this: Jocelyn and Jaydan walked into one of the most powerful rooms in the country and fought for you. Your voice and your story matter too.