Deanna hails from Linden, N.J. and started advocacy at the age of 14. The 18-year-old  hopes to further her understanding of congressional procedures and practice to further help youth in care. While in Washington, D.C. Deanna hopes to gain insight into policy work at the federal level. Deanna is currently a member of the New Jersey Department of Children and Families Youth Council where  she contributed to the passing of the Siblings’ Bill of Rights and to EnlightenMENT— a peer-to-peer mentoring program. Her favorite quote is from the late great Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”