Cindy spent most of her adolescence in foster care. She moved from city to city, foster home to foster home, and from school to school. She faced many adversities, and turmoil from years of abuse, neglect, and being separated from her five younger siblings who she was mostly responsible for raising. It took some time, but Cindy realized that how she responded to the situation would impact how she came out of the situation. Cindy refocused her life, embraced academics, counseling, and independent living skills. She earned several awards and graduated top 10 of her High School class before aging out of the foster care system. Cindy has been able to use the heartache of her childhood to positively influence the person she has become today - to have compassion for and serve others in any way that she can.