Kelly Acosta  is a 26 year old passionate advocate and dedicated student currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Forensic Psychology. She is currently based in Arizona, but is originally from California. As a former foster youth in two states, she has firsthand experience with the challenges faced by individuals in the foster care system and has made it her mission to use this personal insight to support others. Driven by a deep passion for people, justice, and advocacy, she is committed to creating positive change through both her academic and professional work. Kelly channels her passion into action through NFYI by utilizing her experiences to mentor those going through similar situations.

Through the Congressional Leadership Academy, she  hopes to gain knowledge on the legislative process, as well as insight into other former foster youth’s experiences in order to better understand what areas of change should be primarily focused on. She hopes to take this experience back to Arizona and utilize it to help further advocate for foster youth.