From Arlene: "There were many challenging experiences I encountered while being in the foster system. Being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, ditching school because I felt that my life didn’t matter anymore and I was being bullied by others, I felt that I was just going to become a failure, feeling unworthy/unloved, and dealing with depression. The most challenging of all was being separated from my siblings. We were all bouncing from foster home to foster home until I ended up in a group home separated from them. I felt alone and discouraged thinking I was never going to see them again. One of the most defining experiences was returning back home with my mother whom I missed so much, reuniting with my siblings, and graduating high school. I was able to prove to everyone that ever doubted me that I did not become a statistic, we were able to prove to everyone that we made it no matter what the circumstances were and we came back stronger than ever."