Stephanie first participated in the NFYI’s Congressional Shadow Day program in 2019. Her experience changed her perspective on life and shifted her identity as a foster youth. Ever since participating in Shadow Week, she sought to fully immerse herself in foster youth advocacy work. Specifically she seeks to continue to learn about local, state, and national resources that cater to foster youth. She currently works as a foster youth resource provider for her undergraduate scholarship program. She recently worked part-time managing a caseload of foster youth to whom she taught life skills before they transition into independent living. She currently sits on the New Jersey Department of Children and Families Youth Council where she has set unprecedented expectations of what a foster youth can contribute to policy and legislation. With the council, she helped to remodel informational government resource websites to cater specifically to youth, and she was part of the recently passed New Jersey Siblings’ Bill of Rights, which focuses on the importance of maintaining sibling relationships in the child welfare system. Stephanie has also sat on many panels collaborating with and listening to foster youth around the country which helped her understand the U.S. child welfare system holistically.