It is safe to say that Hope has “hope” for her future.

Just a few years ago, Hope was classified as one of the 370,000+ foster youth in the United States. As a former child in foster care now attending Cal State San Marcos for a degree in child development, Hope Catenacci grew up without having parents to rely on. Even as she has aged out of the system, she still faces struggles on the daily that many people are unaware of.

Although many foster youth face adversaries, Hope provides the unique perspective of being grateful for being put into the system. She takes advantage of the benefits provided for her on her campus, and attributes being separated from her father as a chance to become something more than what she thought she would become.

Listen to Hope’s story and experience the second episode of Education Chat’s fifth season in a newly developed short-form format. This episode is for anyone who may relate to the background of Hope, or for those who want a true, raw, testament of how a foster youth has to navigate higher education.

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The Struggles and Successes of Student Parents