My name is Jasmine, and I am a 20-year-old former foster youth, advocate, writer, entrepreneur, and college student. After spending seven years in the New York foster care system, I turned that experience into a lifelong commitment to making the system better for the young people still in it. I have served as a youth advocate with the Fostering Youth Success Alliance, taken part in youth leadership and advocacy initiatives, and helped establish UAlbany’s first Foster Love Club to connect foster youth with resources, support, advocacy opportunities, and a sense of belonging on campus. I have also used public speaking, writing, and storytelling to bring attention to the issues that affect young people in care.

I currently live in Albany, New York, and I have taken advantage of many of the opportunities available to me in the Capital Region. However, many of the internships, creative professionals, nonprofit leaders, funders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and advocacy organizations I need to connect with are concentrated in New York City. Transferring to NYU and relocating to NYC would put me closer to the people, organizations, and resources that could help me turn my ideas into sustainable projects. It would also give me access to stronger career opportunities and better-paying work, allowing me to build the financial foundation necessary to support myself while continuing my advocacy. For me, this move is not about leaving Albany behind. It is about taking everything I have built here and bringing it to a place where it can grow.

I know what it feels like to enter adulthood without the family support many young people take for granted. I know what it means to navigate college, housing, finances, and independence while carrying the experiences of foster care. I also know that young people currently in the system deserve more than survival. They deserve resources, stability, opportunity, and people willing to fight alongside them. I am not asking people to invest in an idea that exists only on paper. I am asking for help taking an already-established mission to the next level. Your support would help me cover tuition, housing, and the startup costs of getting settled in New York City so I can expand my education, build my nonprofit, tell the stories that need to be heard, and continue turning lived experience into change. If you are able to donate, share this fundraiser, or connect me with someone who can open a door, I would be deeply grateful.