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Lexi is building a brighter future with the Fostering Futures program, despite the many challenges she has faced in her young life. Through incredible resilience and grit, she has found her footing with help from Transitional Age Youth programming at The Buckeye Ranch and the brand new Fostering Futures program.  

As a teenager, Lexi was kicked out of her home and placed in foster care as a result of challenges in her home environment. She was able to find success in her foster family placement and complete high school. 

After graduating and moving out on her own, Lexi had to quickly learn to be financially independent. Thankfully, she was connected with Child Welfare Services at The Buckeye Ranch where she received support from the Transitional Age Youth program Bridges. 

Finding Success After Foster Care with Support from The Buckeye Ranch 

When Lexi was first entered foster care, she was 13 and navigating the juvenile justice system. She felt alone and lacked anyone to confide in or turn to.  

Lexi struggled to accept placement in foster care. The events of her life made it difficult for her to trust others, especially new people, “I’m very independent, to a point where it isn’t always the best thing for me,” she admits.  “Getting placed with my foster family in Cincinnati was very questionable for me at first. I was thinking about running away and was making plans. Eventually I realized they were nice people, so I stayed.”  

Over time, Lexi was able to learn to trust more people, including the foster family that provided her with the stability she needed to complete high school.  “My foster family helped me finish school. I was their first foster kid to finish high school.” Around this time, Lexi also succeeded in getting her driver’s license, buying her first car, and eventually, successfully paying it off! After graduation, she decided that she would return to Columbus to resume living independently. 

Thankfully, Lexi was connected with The Bridges program at The Buckeye Ranch, and her liaison, Susan, became a tremendous support in Lexi’s life. “I have a hard time connecting with people, so it took a while to warm up to Susan,” reflects Lexi. Susan and Lexi have worked to build a very strong relationship, “I call Susan whenever I’m having a bad day,” Lexi shares. “She’s been a huge support. She’s helped me with making sure I have the resources I need and connects me where to go. She’s been really helpful, and I can really tell her anything.”

Bridges is a resource available through The Buckeye Ranch’s Transitional Age Youth (TAY) program that supports foster youth attending school or working or pursuing education full time with resources as they transition into independent living.  

TAY programs at The Buckeye Ranch provide all youth receiving support from The Buckeye Ranch’s continuum of care aged 14 and older in state custody or foster care with independent living and housing services. The programs are designed to help young adults who are ready to transition from care, group housing, and/or foster care, but are not ready to live completely on their own, offering an array of services from access to the state of Ohio’s Bridges program, our My Place program, post-emancipation services, as well as general life skill programming and coaching. 

Support from The Buckeye Ranch was instrumental in building the life skills Lexi needed to succeed. “Susan taught me a lot of things I didn’t learn in school, like how to open a bank account, start paying bills, taxes, things like that. It helped ease my fears. She’s like a second parent to me.”  

Finding the Strength to Weather Transitions and Unexpected Challenges

With support from Susan and her foster family, she was able to secure her own apartment in Columbus and find work at a local daycare to support her needs. Now living independently and working full time, Lexi tapped into additional support from the Bridges Program to help her continue to navigate this new chapter. 

 Recently, Lexi encountered a series of hardships that have created a great deal of financial and emotional strain. A little over a year ago, the apartment Lexi was living in tragically burned down, destroying all her possessions, “That was a terrible time, all I had was what could fit in a laundry basket. None of my stuff survived. I got my guinea pigs out though and that’s what mattered most. I’m still rebuilding,” she shared. Lexi persevered despite this setback, and with support from Susan, was able to secure new housing and begin the tremendous feat of rebuilding her life from ground zero. 

This devastating event combined with a series of other setbacks, left Lexi highly motivated to learn new skills and seek opportunities that could create new pathways and more security for her. Susan helped to connect Lexi to an exciting new life skill program called Fostering Futures that provides education and training to youth seeking to launch careers in the culinary and hospitality industries.  

Building a Brighter Futer with the Fostering Futures Program 

In becoming a part of the inaugural Fostering Futures program cohort, Lexi was able to learn professional-level culinary skills that will hopefully help Lexi launch a new career and set her up for a brighter future. 

The Fostering Futures program is a new initiative created in partnership by the Ohio Children’s Alliance and Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, with additional support from The Buckeye Ranch, The Columbus Foundation, the Ingram-White Castle Foundation, and Columbus State Community College, designed to create new career pathways to empower youth previously unhoused or in foster care.  

Fostering Futures provides a sixteen-week professional level culinary and hospitality training program through Columbus State Community College that ends with the opportunity for paid job placement at Cameron Mitchell Restaurants. During the program, youth learn trade skills from industry experts and receive financial support to reduce barriers to help prioritize classes, along with personalized support from expert success coaches at The Buckeye Ranch for the duration of the program. 

Lexi was initially hesitant to join the program for its pilot session. She admits she struggles with authority, and worried that it would be a difficult setting for her. Ultimately, with the right encouragement from trusted figures, she decided to take the leap and give the program a shot.  

Learning the Tricks of the Culinary Trade 

Every Sunday for sixteen weeks, Lexi joined her Fostering Futures cohort for professional level culinary instruction at Columbus State Community College. 

The course was taught by Chef Michael and Chef Dreama, who not only taught the youth how to cook, but also taught valuable lessons in professionalism, self-confidence, and how to carry the sense of urgency necessary to be successful in the culinary arts. They even helped the youth create resumes and develop interview skills by conducting mock interviews. 

“The most important things I learned in the Fostering Futures program have been patience, communication, accountability, and integrity – doing the right thing even when no one is looking,” Lexi shared.  Another lesson she learned? How to handle feedback, “I think the biggest thing has been on how to take criticism, I learned that even if someone is criticizing me, it doesn’t mean they are trying to bash me. I’ve learned how to take constructive criticism.” 

For Lexi, the most memorable experience in the Fostering Futures program was, by far, getting the chance to work and learn alongside her brother. Lexi and her brother had not seen each other regularly since she was sixteen. Now nineteen, she encouraged her brother to take part in the program alongside her, where they were able to have bonding experiences they missed out on while growing up. 

While he was in the course, the pair made an excellent team, frequently finishing their units far ahead of their classmates, “We could work really fast together, we were a good team. We had some differences that would get in the way, and even though he ultimately didn’t finish the course, working with him was the best part.” 

Lexi admits that working with others has always been a challenge of hers, and the experience taught her a lot about how to work alongside others, even when there are disagreements.  

Looking Back, Moving Forward 

Now that the Fostering Futures course has concluded, Lexi is looking towards what’s next. “The program has set me up to reach my future goals by being very supportive. I’ve had some hard times and my program coach from The Buckeye Ranch, Mica, was able to help me get the resources I needed in moments where I couldn’t afford food or gas.”

A key part of the Fostering Futures program is providing participating youth with a Success Coach from The Buckeye Ranch, to provide career assistance and resource connections. Success Coaches also distribute Emergency and Normalcy Funds as needed to reduce barriers to success, which was instrumental in ensuring Lexi was able to complete the course. 

While Lexi is excited to be getting her Sundays back, she admits that there is plenty she will miss now that the program is over, “I really enjoyed the cooking every week, I didn’t have to worry about food. I liked being around the chefs and everyone, and I appreciated how understanding they were with my situation,” she shares. “I even made a friend that I’m going to keep in touch with moving forward.” 

Lexi is currently awaiting a job offer from Cameron Mitchell Restaurants after successfully interviewing and is working hard to get stabilized financially. She shares, “It’s been a hard year. A lot has happened, but I’m working on it. I’m proud of myself for what I’ve been able to do. I’m slowly rebuilding, and I’m still standing.” 

Lexi is hopeful that the support she’s received from TAY and Fostering Futures will provide her with the stability she needs to pursue her long-term goal of achieving a degree in Marine Biology. She has a deep love for animals, and prides herself on the excellent care she provides for the pets she has adopted.  

 “Just because you’re hit hard does not mean it’s the end of the world,” she says. “My journey has not been easy. I look back on what I’ve been through and see that I’m a very strong person. I have a lot of toughness and a lot of sincerity to go around. I know I’m very smart and have a lot of potential,” shares Lexi. 

We couldn’t agree more. We are incredibly proud of Lexi’s resilience and can’t wait to see what her bright future has in store for her. 

To learn more about Transitional Age Youth programs at The Buckeye Ranch, visit our website. To hear more heartwarming stories of success from youth and families served by The Buckeye Ranch and stay up to date on our latest initiatives, sign up for our e-newsletter today.