I am a Graduate

Written by Kristy Graves, a member of our Young Person’s Advisory Council and former young person in care.

Kristy and her mom

I have been labelled many things in my life, both good and bad. I am a daughter, sister, friend. I am a girlfriend, Christian, foster kid. Before this past week, one of my biggest identifiers was the label I wore as a foster kid — or a former young person in care. It’s not always a positive one and often comes with a lot of stigma and negativity. One of the biggest assumptions is that our past dictates our future, which translated to disbelief when I told people I was in university. This past week, however, I graduated with both my mom and boyfriend by my side. I now hold a Bachelor’s degree and a new title; one that I can wear with pride and use to end that stigma and disbelief that is so commonly associated with my time in care. Now, I am a graduate.