I have been associated with foster care since I was in fourth grade. My parents told my sister and me they were deciding to undergo training to accept placements. My now younger sister (we'll call her Princess for confidentiality) was the first call we received for a child needing a home. She was the happiest and has taught my family many lessons. I often went with my mom to drop her off at visitation and tried to help take care of her as much as I could. We received another placement call for my now younger brother; we'll call him Prince. After several years of staying with my family, Princess returned to her biological family. This was always the end goal, but it was not the right decision in this case. I was emotional after a piece of my family was taken from me, but I knew that I could still do my part. I volunteered to make blankets for foster children, gifted Christmas presents to those in need, and volunteered at food banks. I kept myself busy helping others to take my mind off of my problems. A year later, she was returned to us but was not the same joyful child I had once known. She had endured a series of events with her birth family and now needed more forms of therapy and care. We went with her to family therapy, personal therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and much more. We adopted Prince during this time and always knew we wanted to adopt Princess, but we were not given the chance as quickly. Nine years after receiving placement, we finally had a judge sign adoption papers for her. While being involved in foster care, I have learned self-defense against knives, how to punch correctly, and how to get out of a headlock. While these skills might seem impressive, I did not learn them for pure enjoyment; they were required for my safety. It was hard at times to process emotions when children would come into our care for a week, month, or holiday and leave without warning. We treated everyone like family because they were, but it stings when your family leaves and you do not know if you will ever see them again. Growing up, I was unsure if my siblings would be there when I came home from school or if someone new would be there. For a period in my life, a day did not go by where a social worker, therapist, CASA, or worker was in my house. Some lessons I have learned include family appearance, patience, and acceptance. Not every family will look the same way, and they do not have to. I have learned to increase my patience with people. I do not know what is happening in their personal life and have yet to learn what battles they are fighting. Finally, I have accepted that some situations are out of my control. I became angry when Princess left our home, and I knew I couldn't do anything to fix it; now, I have accepted that things are within my control and out of my control. I now have new perspectives in life as well as new siblings.

I have many dreams for my future and manifest my dream job daily by working towards my goals. I dream of being one of the top realtors across the Illinois and Wisconsin border. I want to invest in real estate and learn the ropes of owning rental properties. Despite my disability, I will be a force to be reckoned with within the real estate world. My disability has affected my future career goals in many ways. I require a job with flexibility and one that can accommodate my needs. I have a traumatic brain injury, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, chronic migraines, and sleep problems. I function differently than others and understand I need a career that fits my lifestyle. When generating ideas for my future career, I kept in mind jobs that allowed me to create my schedule. When I am looking for a career, I look for several things. As I have stated, flexibility is a must, but so is salary based on work ethic. Being a realtor is a career where you get what you put into it. The more time I put into cold-calling clients, advertising, and showing properties, the more I will get out of it. If I need to take a day off because my POTS are acting out or I have an unmanageable migraine, I can adjust my schedule. I could not do this as easily if I worked a nine-to-five job. My former career goals included owning a bakery, owning an all-star cheerleading gym, and being a full-time content creator. While I know that my determination would allow me to conquer any goal I set, these careers would not be as feasible. As a baker, I would be near hot equipment all day, which would not be suitable for my POTS. If I were to own a gym for cheerleading, I would be required to move fast and work in a chaotic environment, which would not be the best for me considering I already have a brain injury. And finally, I do not believe I would enjoy being a full-time content creator because I would work most days under someone else's schedule. I would be creating content for brands under their deadlines and regulations. After considering my strong suits I am pleased to major in marketing to improve my skills when I become a realtor. I know that my disability will be by my side every day, but so will my perseverance and adaptability.

If you have never had to go a day wondering how many siblings you would have the following day, then you have no idea what it is like to be in my place. I would sit in class wondering if when I got home, would I have a new sibling? I was ten year old when my parents sat me and my biological sister down and told them their new plan for our lives, foster care. They didn't really ask for our opinion, but rather said that this was a non-negotiable decision. A few months after said decision we received a phone call for our first placement, my new sister. We had no idea what journey was ahead of us but we were excited nonetheless. It was not long before the system failed her, failed us all. She went back to an unloving and unsafe living situation which in the long-run caused more damage to her. It was over a year before she returned to our family and the pain began. She was much different than before she left, she was angry at my parents for letting her leave and endure all that trauma. While I may not be a child in the foster care system, I am very much involved. I have endured my sister telling me that she wishes I was dead and scratching me until I bled and it left a scar on my ankle. The amount of things I have put up with from her such as throwing objects at me and her screaming all night long. I went and stayed with her at the hospital when she was a danger to herself and others. Opportunities that I have been given will often be turned down because we have to go to a meeting for her. Even though my life has been turned upside down over this little girl I would still go through everything that I have because I love her. Very few people know how much foster families put up with and go through. I haven't been able to talk to anyone other than my parents about foster care related things, because of all of the rules in place about confidentiality. I plan to continue my parents work in the future by adopting my own children and creating a life for them that other people could not give them. My college education will help me create a future for me to be able to make this possible.