MY STORY-
First, I must explain why I have taken on such an enormous venture. Unbeknownst to me, every event in my life was preparing me for child advocacy. I will start by saying, I have not always had a fondness for the legal system and on more than one occasion found myself on the wrong side of it. My first introduction was when I discovered the  inadequate laws of the statute of limitations.  I am a survivor of childhood molestation by my Grandfather.  At age sixteen I stared blankly as a sheriff explained that given the last date of occurance, age six, that I would have had only four years to prosecute.
ADOPTION-
I lived up to statistics and found myself pregnant at eighteen. I looked at all that I wanted my son to have and all that I had to offer and made the difficult decision to place my son in a loving home.  Once again I was introduced to legal formalities.  I could not remove anything from the relinqishment of parental rights but I could add to it.  I stated that should for any reason this family not be able to or not want to adopt my son that I would retain my parental rights.  I wanted more for my son and I wanted to ensure that he would never be abandoned or unloved. 
THE OTHER SIDE OF ADOPTION-
Many years and many indescretions later, I helped my then soon to be husband, find his daughter.  She was being raised by her maternal grandmother.  Once again, I was given experience with the courts and over the next year, we received joint custody, full custody and then I adopted her. What a special blessing, my daughter was seven.  Three years later her father left and I learned the hard way that divorce agreements are meant to do more than just end a marriage.  When he left, he left her with me and I have had the joy of giving back what someone else did for my son. 
MEANT TO BE-
When she was only ten her bestfriend's mother passed of breast cancer.  Each day after school we would bring her bestfriend home until her father got off work and that is how I met my current husband.  We were a perfect match and those bestfriends got to become sisters and now I have two beautiful daughters! We are a perfectly blended family.  Each member comes with a built in loss but also with an abundance of compassion and unconditional love.  Now my girls are off to college and I am compelled to pursue the legal knowledge to accompany my  many legal experiences in order to give other children a voice in the courtroom. 
HOW YOU CAN HELP-
I didn't know what I was getting into and found law school to be quite challenging.  As I come to the end of my first year, I have no idea how this miracle is to be provided. I only know that this IS what I am meant to do. If I do my part, God will do His.  I have two years left and through student loans I have been able to secure half of the necessary funds. I know that this pursuit is a little later for me than most law students but I have had the honor of raising two inspirational young ladies first!  It feels like a Hallmark movie and I love where I've landed and am looking forward to the sequel.