Josiah Billingsley
4 years in Foster Care
17 years old
He/him/his
Josiah Billingsley is completing high school and will attend Fayetteville State University starting in Fall 2022. He will pursue a degree in Physical Education, and wants to eventually have a career as a coach. His hope is to coach young athletes in a rural community, helping them to stay motivated, fit, and healthy through involvement in athletics. From personal experience, Josiah knows that good relationships between teachers and students can go a long way toward helping young people become successful and prepare themselves for college, and he wants to be able to fill that role for future generations of students.
At school, Josiah is involved with helping students in special education classes. He is already developing his coaching skills through the youth recreation program in his town, and also helps at his local Police Athletic League, a free boxing and wrestling program for at-risk and vulnerable youth. Josiah has also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, helping one of his best friend’s family to build their new home.
Josiah spent four years in foster care, and was adopted at a young age. His experience has shown him the value of the foster care system, and has given Josiah a desire to show greater compassion and understanding toward young people. He understands that there may be underlying reasons for the ways people act, and hopes that as a teacher and coach he will be able to offer empathy and guidance to his students.
