Amiagh’s eyes skimmed over the words “we have decided to move forward with another candidate for the coordinator position.” The rejection stung, knowing how close she had come to an opportunity to make a difference for foster youth.
As she clicked off to refresh her email, disappointment still hanging over her, Amiagh noticed an email from Foster Success about another opportunity.
It was information on a nine-month program for former foster youth by the National Foster Youth Institute’s (NYFI) called the Congressional Leadership Academy. Seeing a new chance to enter the world of advocacy, Amiagh applied.
Two months later, an email from NYFI was sitting in her inbox.
“Congratulations, you have been selected as part of National Foster Youth Institute’s (NYFI) called the Congressional Leadership Academy 2026 Cohort.”
Amiagh was ecstatic as she reflected on her path to this moment.
It took years to cultivate her purpose. Aging out of foster care at 18, she paused her education journey for four-years. When she was ready for school, enrolled into the Maricopa Community Colleges to pursue Business Management, Foster Success was foundational for the start of her college career.
From a laptop to do schoolwork to textbooks, Amiagh was able to use Educational and Training Voucher (ETV) funds to ensure she could stay focused on her educational goals—something she describes as life-changing.
“Being a foster kid and not having that support a normal young adult would have, it’s nice to be able to have the financial [assistance] and then the personal side of being able to talk [to someone],” said Amiagh.
Her college journey also went hand-in-hand with a personal journey to discover her purpose; trauma-informed care becoming the focus of her Congressional Leadership Academy experience.
“I went on a journey to heal my trauma, to not see through a lens of victimhood, and instead be someone who can apply my story as an adult.”
Amiagh hopes to help to bridge an understanding of the ways trauma affects frontal-lobe development and manifests as a survival mindset in adulthood.
She plans to continue this work as she grows professionally, with the aim of becoming a mentor to foster youth.
She knows that it took a village to support her in getting where she is today, and she hopes to be part of that support for other foster youth.
“I hope that my life’s journey and what I decide to do with my life is a testament to that.”