When high school seniors apply to college, schools often ask them to describe an experience that has helped shape them into who they are today. For 18-year-old Harrison, this was a no-brainer. He says being an active part of an Angels resource family has changed his perspective and deepened his empathy. “It’s made me want to be a better person,” he says from the living room of his North County home where he lives with his parents. Scooting about on her bottom is “Pearl,” a toddler who has been with the family for 11 months. The little girl is the family’s fourth placement with Angels Foster Family Network.
In his essay, Harrison discusses how fostering has helped him gain a greater understanding of how circumstances affect both infants and their parents. “When I was younger, anti-drug programs in school taught us to see drug users as morally inferior, but fostering taught me that this is far from the truth,” he explains. After meeting several parents, hearing their stories, and watching them work toward reunification, he’s broadened his outlook.
His mother, Sharlie agrees. “Most parents are really good people who have had hard lives,” she says, recalling an article she read about a mother who was forced into sex work as a child.
Harrison is a sports enthusiast, so he puts it into football terms. “In the NFL you can have a talented quarterback, but if they don’t have great support from their coach or offensive coordinator, they’re not going to do as well on the field as a middling quarterback who’s got great coaches and teammates,” he explains.
In fostering, the resource family is the offensive coordinator, Harrison says. “You try to gain yards with each play, whether it’s big plays or offenses that are grounded in smaller plays. Every step gets you closer to the goal.” For parents, meeting court requirements for reunification, “That’s a 20-yard pass,” he says.
Sharlie adds, “For me the touchdown is reunification.” The extra point is when the parents of reunified children choose to stay connected. “A few years ago, two of our previous foster sons and their parents joined us for Christmas Eve dinner just months after reunification. It was such a special night. We have remained close to all our foster children and their families.”Harrison decided to write his college essay about fostering because the experience was deeply meaningful to him. That came through loud and clear to admissions officers, and Harrison was accepted at five of the six schools to which he applied. This autumn, Harrison will be starting at the University of Oregon where he plans to study journalism. He was active on his high school’s news station and intends to participate on one of the campus’ media outlets, with an eye toward a career in sports broadcasting or writing.
Harrison and his family have found fostering with Angels a gratifying experience that allows them to provide care for infants and toddlers who need safe, loving homes while their parents get their lives on track. “The lessons I’ve learned from being a big brother to foster siblings will continue to influence me as I move into a new phase of my life,” Harrison says. “I love my foster siblings so much and am so glad our family got to care for them.”
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