When I was a child, I remember waiting on the porch for my dad to show up and, of course, he let me down. Being a single mom, I never wanted my son to experience that same hurt. The first day my then-boyfriend Josh met Brayden, we grabbed Chinese takeout. At the time, Brayden was learning how to wrestle, so Josh showed him his high school wrestling medals. From early on, we knew adoption was part of our future. We wanted our family to share the same name. We were married in 2023 and a year later, Josh adopted Brayden.

I feel like I’ve lived 50 lifetimes. I was born in Liberia, lived in Ghana and Canada, and now call Philadelphia home. Moving around gives you a sense of your place in the world. I’ve learned to be grateful for the small things. My big problems were not unsurmountable.

I grew up in Huntingdon. I was one of those kids who left for college and said I’d never go back. When my dad was sick, I returned to help my parents with their business. I’ve been here since.

More than a conference, the Forum on Pennsylvania’s Children is a catalyst for professionals across disciplines to come together around a shared goal: helping children, families, and communities heal from trauma.

A few weeks ago, in conjunction with the Child Welfare League of America’s national conference in Washington, D.C., I joined more than 300 child advocates walking together up the steps of the Capitol to represent the needs of our nation’s children before legislators. In that moment—moving in unison and with purpose alongside others—I was part of something bigger than myself. I was carrying a mission.

“I love my job, but it’s not like I woke up one day and said, ‘I want to work for a non-profit as a child welfare paralegal.’ I went to a college prep type of high school in Massachusetts, and I remember getting called down to the office because I didn’t have a plan. I love learning, it just took me a while to find a career path."