In December of 2020, Karin conducted a group interview about students who were in foster care during their childhoods and were attending college with the help of a UW-system program called Fostering Success. Fostering Success supports foster, homeless, or orphaned students. In the spring of 2024, she followed up on that program by interviewing author, attorney, and Foster Youth Advocate Andrew Bridge along with some students and alumni who were supported by the Fostering Success program. Today's program looks at the big picture for foster youth, their challenges in accessing and completing college, and the power of their voices as they use their degrees for advocacy.
Guests:
Andrew Bridge grew up in foster care from age 6 to 18. He went on to graduate from Wesleyan University on a full scholarship and then Harvard Law School. He is a children’s rights lawyer who has worked with foster care systems across the country to improve lifetime outcomes for children in state care, including with colleges and universities to improve admissions and graduation rates for older foster youth and young adults. He has published two books, Hope's Boy: A Memoir, and The Child Catcher: A Fight for Justice and Truth, which chronicle his upbringing in foster care, and his work as a legal advocate for institutionalized children.
Abbie Aasen is a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Stout and has a B.S. in Psychology with a concentration in Criminal Justice and Rehabilitation. After being placed in foster care at 14, she joined the Fostering Success Program on campus to use her lived experience to improve the lives of students who experienced the same struggles as she did, while becoming a Peer Mentor and working the numerous Fostering Success Camps to introduce higher education opportunities to those transitioning out of the Wisconsin system. She works for the State of Wisconsin as a probation and parole agent.
Olivia Johnston is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Stout and a proud alum of the Fostering Success program. After becoming a ward of the state at age 12, she navigated her way through high school and college, using her experiences to advocate for others and mentor fellow students. She currently works in marketing for a software-as-a-service company.