By Laura Edwins, Miami Herald—Florida foster youth graduating in the Miami area had an extra ceremony after high school graduation. The ceremony was held by case workers, child advocates, and child welfare agencies and honored about 70 foster youth who had successfully completed high school.

Photo: Susana Mariscal

“We let the kids know how important it is to celebrate their achievements,” said Fran Allegra, CEO for Our Kids, a nonprofit child welfare agency in Miami-Dade County. The agency has sponsored the event for the last four years.

Edwin Presswood-Castro was one of the 70 youth to be recognized. Though he was adopted along with his brother by a teacher at Miami Beach High School, life was not always so easy. Edwin had been in foster care since he was 2 years old and had been in homes where he experienced verbal and emotional abuse.

“My adoptive dad is a great guy,” Edwin said. “He’s done everything I need. He’s gone beyond my needs and expectations.”

After scoring a 1500 on the SAT, Edwin will begin classes at Florida State University where he will study biology with a pre-med focus.

“If I had stayed with my biological parents I don’t think I would be here right now,” he said. “At every house I’ve been I grew and matured and learned how to be a great person, a nice person, how to be friendly, no matter what comes my way.”

A speaker gave a speech at the event who spoke about the obstacles that foster youth often face. The students were asked to stand if they had gone through specific experiences like having someone tell them they couldn’t succeed or if they had seen someone go to jail who they knew and loved. At the end, they all stood in support of one another.

Courtesy of Miami Herald

Original Article: Foster kids get a special high school graduation ceremony

Link: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/12/2262459/foster-kids-get-a-special-high.html#ixzz1YELfmS00