Rising Up for Systemic Change: Highlights from the 2023 Passport to Careers State Conference
Centering the voices of those with lived experience in foster care or with unaccompanied homelessness, the 2023 Passport to Careers State Conference encouraged nearly 230 attendees to connect, engage, learn and share over two days full of plenary speakers, workshops and networking opportunities. Speakers urged the attendees to continue to rise up as advocates for systemic change in our foster care system, increases in affordable housing, and greater access to post-secondary education and career preparation.
“We were especially pleased to be back in person for this conference for the first time since 2019 and we welcomed over 140 first-time attendees,” noted Donna Quach, Washington Passport Network Program Manager.
Throughout the conference, galvanization was a central theme. From keynote speaker Senator Yasmin Trudeau’s remarks to the lived experience panel moderator Yvonne-Monique Aviva’s thoughtful leadership to Passport recipient and CSF alum Curtis Anderson’s highlight speech, the need for input and a demand for changes in state policy and practice in Olympia was echoed repeatedly.
“We must be willing to advocate and fight injustice where it dares to exist, and we must force oppressive systems to acknowledge their own flaws in a way that allows for growth and improvement. I want to emphasize this message because I believe that the greatest battles are won when we refuse to lower our standards. We must be willing to hold our leaders, colleagues, and most importantly ourselves to the professional and personal standards that we already know our youth deserve.” Curtis Anderson
“My call to action is to rise up, to reach out and do the work to change the system. A system that we know is currently not designed to heal, but to harm. Find your path to advocacy, and fight with us––for change.” Yvonne-Monique Aviva
Many speakers also shared how critical their communities were in helping them create successful outcomes. Keynote speaker Maggi Qerimi shared how even just a simple look from her English teacher acknowledging her struggle and demonstrating compassion became a momentous turning point
“I was in the 10th or 11th grade reading The Grapes of Wrath in class. The students in my class were asked by our teacher to take turns reading out loud while the rest of us listened. I started to read when it was my turn…it was hard to focus on what I was reading because I was so focused on getting the words right. I kept reading and when I stopped for another classmate’s turn, I looked up and my teacher’s eyes welled up. I will never forget that moment. She wasn’t judging me [or] my poor reading skills. She was connecting with what I was doing. She made me feel like something I did was impactful. Like I could do something that mattered.” Maggi Qerimi
The lived experience panelists Jacqueline Robles, Brittney Lee, Azia Ruff, Raquel Folarin and Jay Weidemann talked about the barriers they faced before and during their college experiences. They presented attendees with clear ideas about how best to serve youth and spoke about the systemic changes that they would like to see in the future. They generously and authentically shared their experiences and insights about the challenges of being in foster care and unaccompanied homelessness on their college and career journeys.
Workshop presenters covered various topics, adding depth and breadth to the conference. Led by esteemed experts, knowledge, resources and inspiration were shared from across our state. From insights related to the challenges of satisfactory achievement progress required by colleges and universities for students to retain their financial aid to centering racial equity and cultural continuity skill building, attendees had multiple options to hear new perspectives and gain professional training.
The Passport to Careers program was established in 2008 and is a nationally recognized model for supporting students who have experienced foster care or homelessness. This annual convening brings together professionals from across the state of Washington to build partnerships, inquire deeply and seek solutions for the most vulnerable youth in our community to achieve their career and college goals. Having just completed its 15th year, the Passport to Careers State Conference continues to be a living example of how centering lived experience and those with lived expertise can influence a more equitable future.
