Spending a Morning Being Shadowed

Last week, I was job shadowed by 20-year-old Christina Tyler who was in DC for the Congressional Foster Youth Shadow Program. Christina, born and raised in Corpus Christi, spent six years in Texas’ foster care system, moving to six different foster homes before she aged out at age 18. Despite the barriers she’s faced, Christina was able to enroll in CCISD and Del Mar College's Collegiate High School, and obtained her Associate’s degree from Del Mar College two weeks before her high school graduation. Christina is now attending Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, majoring in Business Management and Administration. She hopes to pursue her MBA, as well as go to law school.

During our morning together, we attended a House Oversight Committee hearing, a Transportation and Infrastructure Committee mark-up, and a House Judiciary Committee hearing. We discussed issues facing foster youth, and how Congress can address these problems. It was a great to have Christina shadow me, and I know that she will go on to great things.