YOUTH SPOTLIGHT

JAQUELYN FINDS HER VOICE THROUGH SUPPORT FROM LIFESET

Imagine traveling to another country alone. No family or friends. Next, imagine not speaking the language or knowing the culture. Not knowing what to do, where to go.

Now imagine it’s not just a trip. It’s a new place to live, to grow up. It’s a new world— literally and figuratively.

That’s what Jaquelyn faced when she immigrated to the United States as an unaccompanied minor at the age of 16. She didn’t speak English. She had no family to count on for housing. Jaquelyn didn’t know who or where to turn.

“It was really hard,” Jaquelyn said. “I didn’t feel like I had the connections and support to be successful in a different culture. There weren’t any case workers who spoke my language and could guide me through the system and be successful.”

Shortly after she arrived in the U.S., Jaquelyn went into foster care. She had two placements over her three-plus years in the system, though it never felt like home. “It was challenging for me because I was still learning a new language in a completely different culture,” Jaquelyn said.

Jaquelyn started taking steps to become more familiar with living in the U.S. and began by taking English as a Second Language classes. When the ESL classes weren’t keeping up with the pace at which she wanted to learn, Jaquelyn went to the local library and used its resources to pick up English faster.

While in care, Jaquelyn worked with her immigration lawyer and the Oregon Department of Human Services, but her plans hit roadblock after roadblock.

Jaquelyn Reyes Alonzo, LifeSet Scholar and Oregon Advisory Board Member

“I felt like there were a lot of misconceptions about what is a good kid in the foster care system, and who needs support,” Jaquelyn said. “I was seen as someone who didn’t need much support because I wasn’t a stereotypical troubled kid.”

For much of the time, Jaquelyn was bounced from caseworker to caseworker, and she never felt like anyone understood her needs. They didn’t ask her. “My social workers changed so often that, at one point, I didn’t know who mine was. The system wasn’t set up for me to be successful,” Jaquelyn said. After unsuccessful attempts to connect with other programs, one of Jaquelyn’s caseworkers put her in touch with Youth Villages and its LifeSet program.

“At first, I didn’t have much faith in this new program,” Jaquelyn said. “I had talked with so many people before, and so often, they assumed I was doing fine, that I didn’t need more help. But I did.”

Jaquelyn entered LifeSet, and Katya was her specialist. The difference in support was immediate. It gave Jaquelyn a voice.

“Katya was a consistent person around me, which was a huge difference,” Jaquelyn said. “She challenged me and believed in me.”

Jaquelyn (third from left) and other LifeSet Scholars with Youth Villages CEO Patrick Lawler, at the Janie’s Fund 2022 GRAMMY® Viewing Party.

LifeSet serves as a bridge to adulthood for foster youth aging out of care. The primary avenue LifeSet uses to help youth transition to adulthood is goal setting, which can take different paths from obtaining a driver’s license to getting a job or attending college. For Jaquelyn, her goal was to attend college, but she needed financial help—another obstacle in front of her goal.

“The services offered by LifeSet are important because they are youth led,” former LifeSet Supervisor Amanda Matthews said. “We try to serve as more of a mentor who can walk with them along their journey, going with them step-by-step.”

Due to her immigration status, Jaquelyn couldn’t apply for many scholarships and loans. Although frustrated with hitting walls, Jaquelyn, with Katya’s help, kept on going. They met more often, doing exhaustive research on scholarships and assistance. Then, they got a break.

“We heard about a full-ride leadership scholarship called Act Six,” Jaquelyn said. “It’s a highly competitive scholarship. Katya helped me so much preparing for the interviews and getting me to feel good about how it was going.”

The news came in an email. “The day we were going to hear I was so nervous that I couldn’t open the email. Katya opened it and told me I got it. I was so happy.”

Once in college, Jaquelyn became a LifeSet Scholar, which helped her get a laptop for classes and a stipend. Being a LifeSet Scholar also provided Jaquelyn a leadership mentor.

“Youth Villages and LifeSet are so important,” Jaquelyn said. “I don’t think people realize all the family privileges that most people have that foster youth don’t have. Just having one adult, one mentor can literally change someone’s life outcome."

Now, Jaquelyn’s focus is on her future. The college senior, now 24, is looking to attend law school with the hope of advocating for children who need help like she did.

“Having experienced foster care as someone from a different culture, I want to help make the system better for kids,” Jaquelyn said. “These children are human beings who are being impacted. They have goals, like I did. They (children) need to be viewed through their potential. I want to be a part of changing that.”