The Point: Spring 2018

that I was in it too … it’s crazy … the
impact that has for them, because they see
someone who is older and who has been
through it, or who was in foster care.”
Garcia talks about his desire to
show kids in foster care that they
can pursue another path in life.
“I want to be successful, and I want to
not be a percentage for all the kids that
are eventually going to be in foster care,
to show them that there is another way.
They don’t need to get into gangs. They
don’t need to get into drugs and that
kind of lifestyle,” Garcia said. “There
is an outlet, and there is a way out.”
Ho believes that children in foster
care simply need someone to believe
in them, someone who will provide
them with help and support.
“I think one of the most important
things is to help people believe in the
kids that are in foster care,” Ho said.
“I often see that kids who are involved
are already perceived as probably going
to fail life at some point, but it has
been unbelievable to see the type of
resilience and strength that most of
these kids have, having gone through
such difficult times and difficult
circumstances. They often rise up to the
occasion to be very successful people.”
Despite all of the brokenness, Levey’s
favorite part about foster care is
getting to see the redemption.
“I think seeing how there’s so much
redemption because these kids are so
broken, but they are so capable of loving
with so much of their hearts. Even though
they’ve been hurt so many times, they have
so much love to give, and it’s just fun,”
Levey said. “Kids are just so joyful … they
love life, and even when they come from
such broken homes, they still have that zeal
to just enjoy things and explore and learn.”
While Levey always wanted to be a
teacher, working with foster children
illuminated a previously unknown need
in her community, that of dedicated and
sacrificial teachers in low-income schools.
“Foster care helped me to want to teach in
a low-income school, and in a school where
there are those needs that a lot of people say
‘it’s too hard’ or ‘someone else will do it,’”
Levey said. “I just feel like those are the kids
that I want to love here. Those are the ones
that have those great needs that are so often
ignored, or thought [of ] as like no one can
help that situation because it’s too far gone.”
As Garcia articulates about his experience,
children in foster care need someone to
show them a different way out of the
system, someone to be an example for
them. For children who are admitted
into the hospital, those who could be
suffering from domestic abuse, Ho is
that person. For kindergarten children in
low-income schools, that person is Levey.
For Garcia, that person was his brother.
“I know my sister and I looked up to
my older brother because he kind of
helped raise us quite a bit, especially
in the transition of even coming to the
home,” Garcia said. “He was the one who
helped call our grandma … whenever our
parents would fight or abuse us, and so
he was kind of the rock there. We really
looked up to him to keep us safe.”
Editor: Marijane Fasana
Photographer: Eliana Park
Designer: Christy Hwang
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