From Homelessness to San Jose State: A Bay Area Foster Kid's Journey

Succes ss t or i esl i k eSaechao ’ sr emai nf art oor ar e.I nCal i f or ni a— wher enear l y60, 000chi l dr enar e i nf os t ercar e— mor et hanaquar t eroff or merf os t erki dsex per i encehomel es s nes s ,accor di ngt oa r ecentUni v er s i t yofChi cagos ur v eyof23year ol ds .They’ r eal s of arl es sl i k el yt hant hei rpeer st o gr aduat ecol l ege.Ones t udybas edi nt heMi dwes tf oundl es st han3% off or merf os t eryout h r ecei v edaf our yeardegr eebyage26.

Pol i cymak er si ncr eas i ngl yar et ur ni ngt hei rat t ent i ont ot hei s s ue,dev i s i ngnews af et ynet st ohel p cat cht hes eyoungpeopl ebef or et heyendupont hes t r eet s .Af t erl aunchi ngafir s t i nt henat i on bas i ci ncomepr ogr am f orf or merf os t eryout h,Sant aCl ar aCount yr ecent l yex t endedt hepi l ott hat gi v es$1 , 000amont ht o7 2el i gi bl eyoungpeopl e.Thes t at ef ol l oweds ui tt hi smont h,s et t i ngas i de $35mi l l i onf orpr egnantmot her sandyoungpeopl ewhor ecent l yl ef tf os t ercar e. “ That ’ sf r eaki nghuge, ”s ai dSav onnaSt ender Bondes s on,di r ect orofcoachi ngpr ogr amsf or Pi v ot al ,aSanJos ebas ednonpr ofitt hathashel pedSaechaoandot herf os t eryout hwi t h educat i onandcar eeroppor t uni t i es .“ I ’ m hopi ngs omuchwe ’ r egoi ngt os eeal i f ti npeopl ebei ng abl et omai nt ai nandper s i s ti nt hei rpos t s econdar yeducat i onbecaus eofi t . ” Pi v ot al pr ov i descoachi ng,net wor ki ngandi nt er ns hi ps ,and58% ofpar t i ci pant sear ns omes or tof pos t s econdar ydegr ee,St ender Bondes s ons ai d.

Butwhi l eSaechao ’ ss t or yhi ghl i ght st hepot ent i al oft hes ei nt er v ent i onst ohel pt ur ns omeone ’ sl i f e ar ound,i tal s os howst hei ncr edi bl ydi cul tr oadmanyoft hes eyoungpeopl ef ace.

Whent eensi nt hef os t ers ys t em t ur n1 8,t heygener al l yhav et omov ef r om t hei rchi l dr en’ sgr oup homei nt oat r ans i t i onal homef oradul t s— pot ent i al l yupendi ngt hei rl i f eandcol l egepl ans , es peci al l yi ft henewhomei sal engt hycommut ef r om t hei rchos ens chool ,St ender Bondes s ons ai d.

I fat eeni sl i v i ngwi t haf ami l y,heors hemaybeki ck edoutaf t ert ur ni ng1 8,s hes ai d.Y oungpeopl e cancont i nuet or ecei v es t i pendsf oraf ewyear s ,buti tmaynotbeenought or entahome, St ender Bondes s ons ai d.

Shees t i mat esmor et hanhal foft heyoungpeopl eenr ol l edi nPi v ot al hav ebeenhomel es sats ome poi nt .

Saechaogr ewupi nSacr ament o,bounci ngf r om pl acet opl acewi t hhi smot herandol derbr ot her .

Hi smom,whohadhi m asayoungt een,wasanal cohol i cands t r uggl edwi t hherment al heal t h, ex per i enci ngdel us i onswhens hedr ank ,Saechaos ai d.Oneni ghtwhenSaechaowas7 ,t hepol i ce br oughthi smot herhome.Theys ai ds hehadbeenact i nger r at i candwar nedt hef ami l yt ok eepher i ns i de.T opr ev entherf r om l eav i ngandpot ent i al l yhur t i ngher s el f ,Saechaohel pedt i eherupwi t h r opeandductt ape.

Af t ert hat ,Saechaoandhi sbr ot herwer ewhi s k edi nt ot hef os t ers ys t em.Thei rmot herdi edwhen Saechaowas21 .

Saechaowasr ai s edi nf ourf os t erhomes ,mos t l yi nSant aCl ar aCount y.Whenhet ur ned1 8and gr aduat edf r om Mt .Pl eas antHi ghSchool i nSanJos e,hi sf os t ermom t ol dhi m hehadt os t ar t payi ngr ent .Hur tt hats henol ongers eemedt os eehi m aspar toft hef ami l y,Saechaoopt edt o mov et oFr emontwi t hhi sbr ot heri ns t ead.Buti tendedupbei ngat ox i cl i v i ngenv i r onment ,Saechao s ai d,andhecoul dn’ tf ocusonhi scommuni t ycol l egecl as s es .

Saechaoev ent ual l ymov edwi t hhi sbr ot her ’ sex gi r l f r i endi nt oahous ei nt heAl v i s odi s t r i ctofSan Jos e.ButSaechaocuthi swor khour ss ohecoul df ocusons ummers chool ,andf el l behi ndonr ent .

Hi sl andl or dki ck edhi m out .

Outofopt i ons ,Saechaoendedups l eepi ngi nhi scarands hower i ngatt hegym — al owpoi nthe r ar el yt al k sabout . “ Ij us tf el ts oembar r as s ed, ”hes ai d,fight i ngt ear s .

Saechaos oonf oundl odgi ngwi t haf r i endandbegant hes l ow,har dwor kofpul l i nghi sl i f et oget her .

Her eadandi nt er nal i z edas el f hel pbookaboutbui l di ngbet t erhabi t s— agi f tf r om Pi v ot al –and embr acedt her apy.Hebr oughthi sgr adesupandt r ans f er r edt oSanJos eSt at e.

Thi ss ummer ,Pi v ot al s cor edSaechaoani nt er ns hi patt heSanJos ebas edmar k et i ngfir m PRx Di gi t al .Onhi ss econdday,hi sbos st ol dhi m he ’ dbewor ki ngonapi t cht ot r yandl andabi g newcl i ent— pl as t i cs ur ger yandder mat ol ogycl i ni cAes t het x .I twasaper f ectfitf orSaechao,who, becaus eofhi sowns t r uggl eswi t hacneandacnes car r i ng,dr eamsofs t ar t i ngas ki ncar ecompany.

Henai l edi t ,andPRxgott hecl i ent . “ He ’ sdoi ngaf abul ousj ob, ”s ai dT er r yDowni ng,v i cepr es i dentofPRx .

T ot opi to ,Aes t het xo er edSaechaoaper s onal i z edpl ant ot r eathi spr obl em s ki n— as er v i cet hat woul dus ual l ycos tt ensoft hous andsofdol l ar s— f orf r ee.

I t ’ sl i k el yt her ewi l l bemor es t r uggl esahead.Saechaoi sj us ts cr api ngbyfinanci al l yands omet i mes hast or el yont heSanJos eSt at ef oodpant r y.Butt oSaechao,hi supcomi ngs ki nt r eat menti s aboutmuchmor et hanel i mi nat i ngpi mpl es . “ They’ r eget t i ngr i dofal l ofmyol ds car s , ”hes ai d.“ If eel l i k et heol ds car sar et hepas t .I t ’ sal mos t l i k eanewchapt er . ”