Fred M. Riley Foundation Graduate Christina

My name is Christina I am a 21-year-old birth mom who placed my daughter in the spring of 2017. I am now a junior in college and continuing my education journey at a great school in South Georgia. The primary goal of my education is to become an adoption lawyer working with DFACS to change legislation to protect children that are in the custody of the state. My desire to pursue this specific career stems from my personal experiences but increased after I spent a year in Honduras working at an orphanage. While living in the country of Honduras, I was a house mom for thirteen young girls. While there I learned about the differences in social-economic opportunities that are provided for someone in Honduras versus in the United States and was appalled to learn that some domestic safety issues were not much different between the two countries. This sparked a fire in me to pursue a family law degree and learn how I can work to create better policies that will protect the rights of children and ensure them an opportunity at a better future. I have a long way to go but am confident God will help me reach the goals I chase. Being a birth mom in college has not been easy both emotionally or financially so receiving this grant was a huge help for me and I hope others have the opportunity as well.