Shay has been in the foster care system since she was 2 years old. During her time in foster care, she experienced 45 different homes, 8 different group homes and 23 different schools.

Shay House is a senior at Mills College where she is pursuing a self-designed major in Politics and Urban Inequalities. Shay plans to continue her education and receive a dual Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Social Work in order to reform current child-welfare policies. Ultimately, she wants to create a society where foster youth are treated humanely and given the resources and tools to live prosperous and healthy lives. Her passion for the reform of the child-welfare system stems from a culmination of her professional development and the 19 years I spent in the Alameda County Foster Care System. Shay is am a firm believer that true expertise lies within one’s experience. It is imperative that the people who have been directly impacted by the child-welfare system are at the forefront of policy reform, and that's what she plans to do.

Shay says: “I give back because I know how it feels to have nothing!”

State(s)
Team(s) or Cohort(s)
2017 Outstanding Young Leaders
Council Member - Past
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