When I was 11, I was taken away from my mother and my sisters. I went through a bunch of foster homes and wound up in Boy’s Town for three years. After that, I was constantly on the run, and always in trouble. I got pregnant twice, and I lost them both to miscarriages, one because of a fight, and one because of drugs. I’ve been through rehab, jail and extraction from Chicago, where I was getting in trouble. Now I’m in a youth prison in the middle of nowhere.

I’ve been in the system for six long years now, and I’ve been locked up for two. By the time you read this, I will finally be out. Tomorrow I present my essay, that I have to read aloud, on my main problem, which is my self-image. I do love myself, I just give up on myself way too easily, because so many other people have given up on me before. I have to watch my negative self-talk.

The first thing I’m going to do when I get out is take a bath! A nice, long bubble bath! Them I’m going to call my boyfriend, and go shopping. I’m being released to a Foster Care Home in Omaha. I’m supposed to just go to see if I like it, but I’ll pretend to like it even if I don’t. Then I can just ask to transfer somewhere else later. It’s not very honest, but if I don’t stay there, I’ll have to go back inside and wait for another opening, and I’m not doing that!

I’m really nervous about leaving. I feel like I’ve done all I can where I am right now, my group leader and my adopted dad have been so helpful. I know with their help I’ll be okay. My adopted dad works at a rehab center that I once went to. He’s really cool. Even though he’s not a counselor, lots of the kids go to talk to him with their problems anyway.

But I’ll be on parole for a while, and it’s so easy to screw that up! I’ll have a curfew, I have to keep on track at school, and I haven’t been to school in such a long time. There are people in my extended family that I know are still involved in things that got me in trouble, like drugs. I’ll have to be very careful.

I know I’ll be okay though. My best friend is such a support to me. I am looking forward to being able to do what I want, when I want to, and I can’t do that in here. I want to be able to get a job, and be able to apply to get custody of my little sister, who I love so much. I can’t do that inside, either.

I’ve been reading a lot of Getting Ready here, and I’ve seen some of my friends have their stories published. I’m so proud of my friends who have gotten out and are doing so well! I just want to encourage everybody who is where I am right now, thing can always change. If you have the strength, you can change where you are and where you’re going. With the help of my dad, my friends and my teachers, I was able to focus on getting clean, and what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I changed for the best, and I know you can too!

—Lisa, 16, Nebraska