Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. – Harriet Tubman

Like most 17-year-olds, Sara* was confident that she was ready for independence. After four years in foster care, she wanted to face life on her own terms and she was sure that, with a little help from her family, she could make it on her own. On her 18th birthday, she legally, and with much anticipation, signed herself out of CPS care. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation at home was much different than what she had hoped for. Without the support of her family, she found herself more on her own than she had imagined.

“My Dad’s soon-to-be wife said I couldn’t live there, so I went to live with my Mom. I thought she had changed, but she hadn’t. I still had the mindset of a teen. I just wanted to hang out. I was making mistakes… getting myself in too deep… I realized I couldn’t do it. I needed structure and rules. I needed that somebody to tell me what to do and push on me and I wasn’t getting it there. I need guidance in my life because I was going nowhere without it.”

Sara wasn’t content to “go nowhere.” She had dreams in sight and knew that they were worth pursuing. She contacted The Children’s Home and asked to return, then signed herself back into CPS care. Since her return, Sara is working to take more responsibility and be more independent. “I matured a lot this summer. I feel like I needed to realize that this is where I need to be.”

Sara will graduate from Richard Milburn Academy in December and hopes to start classes at Amarillo College in the Spring. She wants to get her basics at A.C. , then go to Frank Phillips College for nursing. “I like helping people and seeing their faces after someone talks to them. I want to be that somebody who tells them ‘things are going to be rough, but you’re going to be OK’.”

* name has been changed