Kat's Story
The journey through foster care doesn't end when a student graduates. With the right support, it can become the foundation for a life of confidence, stability, and giving back. Kat's story is a reminder that the investment made in students today has a ripple effect for years to come.
Kat earned her degree in Sociology from Sacramento State University. Today, she's helping other foster youth succeed as a Student Success Coach for Fostering Success and Significance (FSS)—a role that allows her to encourage students who are walking a path she knows well.
Growing up wasn't always easy. Kat and her brother were adopted by their grandmother, and she often found herself living with other families. Looking back, she sees both the challenges and the gifts those experiences gave her. "I think being a foster kid made me proud to be self-made," she says. "I was blessed to have been influenced by a lot of different kinds of people. It made me able to be a chameleon—someone who can blend in to almost any situation."
When Kat started community college, she faced obstacles beyond academics. She had nowhere to live, struggled to find work, and was navigating an unhealthy relationship. Coming from a continuation high school, she also found herself catching up in subjects that hadn't been offered to her before. Without family members who had attended college, she says she was "really winging it."
Kat first learned about FSS when alumna Leslie Leon visited the Guardian Scholars Program and then invited her to coffee to share more about the organization.
It's hard for Kat to name just one benefit from FSS that made the biggest difference. Therapy helped her heal. Scholarships eased financial pressure. FSS workshops introduced her to ideas that changed her future—including reading books about personal finance and learning to invest early.
Her mentor, Missy, also left a lasting impression. "Missy is an absolute powerhouse. She gets things done. To just spend time with someone so full of life and self assured has had a lasting impact. I was afraid of getting older before I met her, now I'm excited for the future."
Today, Kat says she's living a life she once wasn't sure was possible. She's reached many of the goals she set for herself—a home, a family, financial stability, and a career helping others. Once afraid of the financial burden of having children, she's now the proud mom of a son and has achieved "no debt besides my mortgage, my dream car, family, own my home."
Her advice for current students is characteristically simple:
"Listen to Doug!"
Kat's story is a beautiful reminder that the impact of FSS doesn't stop at graduation. It grows as students become mentors, leaders, and role models for the next generation—creating a legacy of hope that continues to multiply.