Eshawn found FCAA through In My Shoes, an FCAA member organization in Tucson that matches alumni mentors with youth in transition. As a mentor, Eshawn was already involved with using her experiences to make a difference for the next generations and she saw involvement with FCAA as a natural next step.

 

What immediately struck Eshawn about FCAA was that through our organization, alumni could claim a permanent place to belong—a family—which she knows is missing for so many people in and from care. As the AZ Chapter Chair, Eshawn has built a strong presence for FCAA both within her region and across the state. She holds a strong focus on ensuring that members are heard and that all members are able to find a real place of belonging in the community. Eshawn brings a beautiful balance of warmth and action to the activities of the chapter.

 

In her leadership of the AZ Chapter, Eshawn has expanded the vision of how to find and support alumni in connecting with one another. The chapter is involved in community service activities such as working to bring food and toiletries to who are homeless, inviting group home residents to participate in FCAA’s Alumni Family Reunion, and ensuring that the alumni community have plenty of opportunities to play together like an extended family.

 

In addition to her work with the AZ Chapter, Eshawn was selected as one of three FCAA members to serve on the America’s Promise Alliance Youth Network. This prestigious opportunity allows Eshawn to focus on one of her areas of great passion—higher education—while bringing the perspective of people in and from foster care. Over the next year, Eshawn and our other two representatives are developing and initiating a specific project to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for alumni of care.

 

“We have a unique voice that can make change for youth in care now! Whether on a big scale by policy change or a smaller scale giving youth someone to look up to and connect to…. letting them know they are not alone.”