Grace’s Story: Overcoming the Odds and Paying it Forward

Grace knows firsthand what it means to overcome the odds. When she entered foster care at 14, she had already been out of school for three years — an absence that would leave any teenager adrift. During the placement test, she stared at the x’s and y’s in the equations and asked, “Why are there letters in math?” It was a small moment that revealed just how much her education had been interrupted.

Her new foster home offered structure at first, but it quickly became a place where stability was fragile. With eight children in the house, Grace was expected to help care for the younger ones. The foster parent’s shifting favoritism created an atmosphere where jealousy simmered and sometimes turned violent. Eventually, Grace was sent back to live with her biological father — another sudden change in a long line of disruptions she couldn’t control.

The following fall, Grace arrived at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. College was a milestone she had worked hard to reach, but her first two years were marked by isolation and a limited support network. Parents’ weekends on campus were especially difficult; the campus filled with families sharing photos, meals, and traditions that Grace could only witness from the margins. It often felt like no one around her could understand the path she had taken to get there.

When Foster Progress launched its Y-CAP program at UIUC during her junior year, something shifted. Grace was hired as a Peer Advocate — a role that allowed her to be the support she never had at the start of her own college journey. She especially appreciated the funds she could use to take younger students out for a decent meal, a gesture she knew mattered.

Through Y-CAP, Grace gained experience working with different personalities, balancing a job with her studies, and stepping into leadership. Today, she has graduated from UIUC, is applying to veterinary school, works as a vet assistant, and still keeps close ties with friends from Y-CAP.

Next : Dylan’s Story