2012 Outstanding Young Leaders

Joshua, 23, serves on the YES Board in Oklahoma. During his sixteen years in foster care, he lived in 15-20 homes, including group homes, family placements and shelters. Despite those challenges, Joshua was part of National Honor Society in high school and graduated with a 3.9 GPA. He served as... Read more

Life is full of challenges, and our characters are defined by what we do with what we’ve got. For most people, the burden of these challenges is made lighter by the love and support of a family structure—be that biological or otherwise. For Vanessa Jackson the path presented some of... Read more

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

Jonathan spent nine years in foster care in New York, and aged out when he was 19. While in care, he spent time in four different placements. He serves on the Mercy First youth advisory council. From volunteering to serve Thanksgiving dinners to supporting families at visiting nights, to volunteering... Read more

Latisha M has blossomed in her involvement with the Good Shepherd Services (GSS) organization. The organization is designed to connect vulnerable NYC youth to family, school and community with the intent of securing a safe passage to self-sufficiency. The first year Latisha was a Youth Ambassador at the GSS 1st... Read more

Danielle’s talent and ambitious are clear when looking at her resume of activities and accolades. She is simultaneously enrolled in Silverado High School and the College of Southern Nevada and hopes to eventually apply to a four-year university and to double major in psychology and computer science. Danielle is a... Read more

At one of Yosua’s poli-sci classes at Fairleigh Dickinson University, he had a group project that involved students from India, Sweden, Bosnia, Kosovo, South Africa, and Brazil. Many of the students didn’t speak English well, and the team had to find a way to get this project done. They used... Read more

Friendly, engaging, and dedicated are just a few words that describe seventeen year old Matthew W of Groveton, NH. The high school student has settled well into the position of leader and, as written by his nominator, “is an exceptional young man.” As a founding member of the Northern Region... Read more

As a youth in foster care in the state of Nebraska, Oscar faced aging-out of the system at age 19 after ten years in care. It meant that his state would no longer provide support, that his safety net no longer existed. Before he left care, he had hopes to... Read more

Thomas Taylor of North Carolina was 10 years old when she was first introduced to foster care. Her first placement was in a group home where she stayed for one year before being placed in her first foster home. She says that the greatest challenge in her experience in care... Read more