When Brandy first enrolled in Keys to Success program last year, she was 16 years old and a junior in high school. She was already ahead of the curve, holding a 4.0 GPA and being a star athlete on her high school golf team. This bright young woman possessed a drive to succeed and knew she wanted to attend a four-year university.
Finding a Path
Paired with her career development specialist (CDS), Brandy used a variety of assessment tools to help her identify skills, interests, work values and the careers that best align with her profile. Her results and her passion aligned for her to select a career in business. From there, her CDS helped her gain a realistic view of the opportunities in her field of interest, identify viable career paths within the business sector and gain an understanding of the cost of living as it relates to her current and future life goals.
Brandy also worked with her employment development specialist (EDS) to create a master application and resume. They then reviewed the tasks necessary to complete a successful job search and practiced interview skills to help her prepare for upcoming opportunities. Within a week of job searching, Brandy landed an entry level job with a small business in her community.
Making a Dream a Reality
Knowing Brandy was determined to go to college, her CDS helped her secure a spot in the only SAT prep class in the area. She thrived in these sessions and was ready to take the exam in June 2021. They also explored all the funding and financial aid opportunities to help her realize her dream of going to college.
Fast forward to this Spring 2022, Brandy went to the state high school golf tournament and placed. She graduated high school and received the Obama Scholarship to attend Arizona State University, where she will study finance.
With the support from the Keys to Success program, Brandy is well on her way to having an incredible life.
Successful Transitions
Established in 2014, AFFCF’s Keys to Success program addresses an unmet need in the community to provide youth transitioning from foster care with intensive, individualized career, education and employment development services. It is the only program of its kind in Arizona, designed to specifically address the challenges youth in foster care experience when struggling to make a successful transition to adulthood.
You can support the work of the Keys to Success program by making a contribution to Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation. Individuals can contribute up to $500 and joint filers can contribute up to $1,000 and receive a dollar-for-dollar credit on their Arizona state taxes. Give today at affcf.org/give.