Nittaya Casey
4 years in Foster Care
25 years old
She/her/hers
Nittaya Casey is a student at SUNY Schenectady County Community College, and will be transferring to a four-year university after she graduates this spring. She will major in accounting, with a minor in public policy and multicultural studies, and intends to become a certified public accountant. Nittaya looks forward to a life of service, and hopes to be able to use her financial skills to benefit organizations that support young people who experience foster care.
Nittaya is a founding member and president of the Business Ambassadors club at SUNY Schenectady, which forges connections between business students and local business leaders. She is also a member of the International Students and English Language Learners club, and as a volunteer for the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants she sometimes translated documents and helped Burmese-speaking refugees access resources. As a youth advocate at Fostering Youth Success Alliance, Nittaya works on projects such as the Foster Youth Success College Initiative with her peers from across the state. She was also recently selected to serve as a member of the Parent and Youth Advisory Board at Redlich Horwitz Foundation, where Nittaya will share her perspectives to improve policy and services for young people in foster care.
Nittaya spent about four years in foster care. As an immigrant, Nittaya recognizes that her time in foster care gave her opportunities to get settled in America, learn English, and be immersed in the culture in a safe and secure home that she probably would not have had otherwise. She also learned that the foster care system is not perfect, and that there are many other young people who need support and changes made to ensure that their own experiences are safe and free from harm.
