Aaliyah spent over 20 years in foster care. During her time in care, one of the biggest challenges she faced was not having the proper guidance leaving her to make important, life changing decisions on her own. Aaliyah was determined to break the generational curse and stop the repetition of history. Being a foster youth impacted Aaliyah’s determination tremendously when she found out only a small percentage of foster youth continue their education and become college graduates. All the negativity, myths, and assumptions that surround foster care is something that really bothers Aaliyah. To prove not all foster youth are the same, Aaliyah made it her ultimate goal to be the first in her family to graduate. She worked hard to obtain her degree in Business Logistics from Santa Monica College and is extremely proud of herself. She has since transferred to Texas Southern University to finish her Undergraduate Degree in either Teaching or Business. On top of doing tremendous work at school, Aaliyah is active in the foster youth community helping to guide those through tough times. In the next five years, Aaliyah sees herself completing her education, purchasing a home for her family, and potentially adopting through the foster care system.