Space to Explore: Meet Faith

When Faith came to UC Davis from the Los Angeles area as a former foster youth, she did not realize she was looking for more people like herself until she found them.

“Foster care isn’t something everyone wants to hear or know about, but with the UC Davis Guardian Scholars Program, I saw there were others like me,” she said. “It really helped knowing that people don’t have to look or act a certain way for you to know what kind of troubles they’ve gone through.”

Coming from an urban area, Faith was first struck by the rural atmosphere of Davis when she visited over spring break. “It was so green and fresh, and it was a beautiful campus and bike town,” she said. “I thought to myself, even if I struggle, I could live in this space.”

She was surprised to learn she qualified for the UC Davis Guardian Scholars Program since she had not been in foster care since she was adopted at age 16. “They said the program was for anyone who had been in foster care at any time, so I decided to take a chance and do my best to receive whatever aid they could give me,” Faith said.

As she finishes her freshman year at UC Davis, Faith has participated in Guardian Scholars tutoring and meetup opportunities, as well as priority registration for classes. When she shared her concerns about furnishing her dorm room early in the school year, the program referred her to Make It Happen for Yolo County.

“My family was going through financial struggles, and I didn’t want to burden them,” Faith said. “When they told me about Make It Happen, I couldn’t believe there were people who would help me just so I could live better. It felt too good to be true.”

When she initially asked for bare necessities and a vacuum on her wish list, one of our volunteers encouraged her to ask for more. When she went to choose her items from our storage units, our volunteers encouraged her to select still more items. “I was like, are you serious?” Faith said. “They gave me utensils, dishes, a crockpot, stationery and a laundry basket. I didn’t even know I would need a laundry basket – I was just going to use a trash bag. Usually if I tell people about my circumstances, it feels like pity. But Make It Happen was such a welcoming space. They said these are things I can have if I want them, but it’s my decision. They even helped me carry the items back to my dorm. The kindness was almost too much to bear.”

Faith said she loves her crockpot and especially appreciates having dishes when she’s snacking during finals. Her laundry basket has handles, which makes it easier to carry in the elevator to the laundry room. She loves having her own vacuum, as she says a clean room helps her think more clearly. She also said living on her own has helped her gain more self-confidence.

“I’m not going to lie, my first few weeks in Davis, I was desperate for social connection and for people to understand me,” Faith said. “The Guardian Scholars Program helped me bond with others who also had lived in foster care and were low-income and first-generation students. Now I feel more confident. I feel like everyone is on my side here.”

With increased self-confidence, Faith also has committed herself to self-exploration. “My dad said this is my chance to find out what I love and what I want to do,” Faith said. “I realized I don’t like political science, but I like reading, so I changed my major to comparative literature. It’s such a blessing to be able to have the chance to try something new and either love it and not be good at it, fail or just attempt to strive.”

Faith is considering a future career in literary translation and says she has many of the same hopes and dreams as others going to college. “I hope to just repay the kindness of the people who’ve helped me,” she said. “I hope to come back to my hometown and family and be able to work in my passion and help support them.”

She also wants to encourage her fellow Guardian Scholars to use Make It Happen’s services. “It feels scary to believe that there are people who want to help you at no cost, but at Make It Happen, they really do,” Faith said. “Just have the courage to push forward. Don’t wait for another opportunity to have a comfortable new life at UC Davis when Make It Happen can be there for you. They’re kind people, and this is the chance for you to look forward and not have to worry so much.”