Malika is a creative, determined, and thoughtful young woman whose journey reflects resilience in every step. She loves reading, drawing, exercising, eating good food, and spending quality time with her aunties and close friends. She’s also passionate about learning new things and building skills to better herself and her future. Malika’s path through foster care was far from easy. Though she was adopted, she describes feeling unwanted, and by the age of 16, she found herself placed in a residential facility. That experience didn’t define her, though. Instead, it strengthened her spirit and shaped her into someone who leads with compassion, focus, and a deep sense of self-worth.