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Entering care at the age of nine, TROY struggled to find his identity and come to terms with his past experiences. Now 23, he is a youth advocate with the Children’s Aid Foundation and has performed his original spoken word pieces at numerous Foundation events. With scholarship funding from the Foundation, TROY has been able to complete his post-secondary education.
*The opinions and views expressed in this article are that of the youth in profile, and not necessarily reflective of the official opinion or position of the Children’s Aid Foundation.
As a child, it was really hard to comprehend what was happening, and identity was a big hurdle for me. It was hard to understand why I wasn’t living with my mother. A lot of it was accepting what had happened, taking the time to find out who I was, and finding a way to move forward.
“I was in grade three, and my mother was really struggling with mental health challenges; she was unable to take care of me like she wanted to. I entered care and at the age of 11 became a Crown ward. The first year and four months after I entered care I lived with one family, and then after that I was placed with a family who I lived with for 13 years, and now consider my permanent home. I was born an only child, but because of my foster placement, I was able to grow up with siblings. It was a really positive experience for me.”
“One of my greatest challenges was coming to understand that everything happens for a reason. As a child, it was really hard to comprehend what was happening, and identity was a big hurdle for me. It was hard to understand why I wasn’t living with my mother. A lot of it was accepting what had happened, taking the time to find out who I was, and finding a way to move forward.”
“I realized that other youth in care were struggling to find their identities, too. I was able to really get into spoken word, something I’ve been doing for the past four years. It gave me a platform to express myself and break things down more, and explore things in my own life. It was almost like connecting the dots; I shaped my identity based on the image those dots, once connected, created.”
If you ask the question ‘why is someone successful’, it’s the fact that they have learned from their failures. If you don’t fail at anything, you won’t be able to succeed at anything.
“When you’re a kid, knowing that other people have gone through the same experiences as you have gives you the courage to persevere. I always tried to be honest with myself about what my strengths and weaknesses were, and there’s a part of me that really wants to understand other people and how we’re different and the same. I don’t separate myself from anybody; I understand that anyone has the ability to recover from anything. If you ask the question ‘why is someone successful’, it’s the fact that they have learned from their failures. If you don’t fail at anything, you won’t be able to succeed at anything.”
“Access to education has meant everything in my life. Through Foundation scholarships, I was able to attend university, and recently became a graduate. You can improve your life, your wellbeing, your mind, body, soul, with education. Education prepares you for a lot of things in life; success and failure.”
People need to understand that whatever you put in, you get out. That dynamic is everywhere. If you want to witness the success of the next generation, you have to put into it, and support it.
“People need to understand that whatever you put in, you get out. That dynamic is everywhere. If you want to witness the success of the next generation, you have to put into it, and support it. If you don’t, it becomes very difficult for youth from care to move on and become resilient, and that process is made easier with support from the Children’s Aid Foundation. I know it definitely was made easier for me.”
Support young people like TROY in achieving their full potential.
