By Donna St. George. Washington Post-- When Jelani Freeman was eight, he returned home from school to an empty house.  His mother, who experienced mental illness, was nowhere to be found and Jelani’s father was incarcerated. "I just knew that was it," he recalled.

Jelani’s difficult experience in the foster care system began, with a lot of poverty, wants, and hurt. His first placement was with a woman who never talked to him except to let him know dinner was ready.  During this time, Jelani expressed that he felt guilt about the fact that he was able to eat three meals a day while he was unsure if his mother was afforded the same luxury.  Jelani’s next placement was equally as loveless. When his foster family would go to the movies, out to eat, or to the circus, they would leave Jelani home. However, his next placement was the closest experience of a family he had in his early foster care history. He was rewarded for making the honor role and was included in family traditions, such as Thanksgiving dinner at a grandparent’s house.  Unfortunately, all that ended when his foster mother suffered a heart attack and subsequently died.  After that, Jelani was bounced from group home to group home until he relocated to his final foster placement with an older sister; he knew that placement was temporary and that he would have to leave upon turning 18.

During his adolescent years, Jelani’s life was so complicated that it was difficult for him to focus on his grades and attendance.

"There were so many things going on, I sort of didn't care about school," he says.

However, when he met Jackie Booker and she became his mentor in 11th grade.  Jelani’s view of school drastically changed.  She helped him discover his love for school and encouraged him to go to college.

When Jelani began to attend college in Buffalo, he tried to forget the foster care system and the role that it had played in his life.  Until he was picking up some groceries one afternoon; upon getting in line to pay for his food, he glanced at a magazine with some information on the state of the foster care system in America.  He promptly put back his groceries and purchased the magazine.
This was a reminder of his experience and the experience of others that are still in need of help.   Shortly after, he was awarded an internship with the U.S. Senate, where he was able to learn about foster care from a policy perspective.  As he began attending speeches and events focusing on the foster care system, he quickly discovered that people wanted to hear from him because of his first-hand experience.

"It grew into a great opportunity to give back, and while I gave back, I kind of gained from it as well," he said.

Jelani has gone on to graduate with a law degree from Howard University and recognizes that while he was resilient in the face of adversity, it was the meaningful connections that he shared with people who got him to this point.

"This didn't magically happen," he said. "People encouraged me. People supported me. There were programs."

Courtesy of The Washington Post.
Original article: Washingtonpost.com : Former foster kid overcame odds, with help from many friends, to earn law degree.