Oct. 24, 2024

Ferris State student Olivia Reeves’ Foster All-Star internship experience enriches advocacy perspective and role as budding Ferris Youth Initiative Johnson Scholars leader

Mecosta County native Olivia Reeves received a unique personal growth opportunity as a Ferris Youth Initiative Johnson Scholars student.

Reeves, a sophomore, spent six weeks during the summer in a select group for the University of Oregon-Portland’s The Foster Club All-Star Internship.

The Supply Chain Management major said Ferris State Coordinator of Independent Living Janette Ward put her on the path to join 15 other students in the program during her first West Coast visit.

“It was a life-changing adventure, as we rarely get to connect with foster care youth from other schools and states,” Reeves said. “Sharing our stories and working together there presented me with a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experience.”

Reeves, who has reunited with her mother, spent three years in the foster care system. She said the internship opportunity helped her personally and professionally.

Reeves collaborated with the Michigan and Oregon Department of Human Services operations, the host Foster Club’s System Change team and the Children’s Bureau. She helped organize a three-day conference for young people in Oregon who are currently living independently.

“This internship has changed my advocacy journey,” Reeves said. “I work with peers in the Ferris Youth Initiative Johnson Scholars program to promote being aware of and securing all the resources available to us. I encourage others to be confident in their roles as advocates.”

Reeves said the work does not mesh with her Supply Chain Management studies beyond the public speaking experiences that were part of the internship. But it will help her in many other ways.

“It definitely helped me heal from some past trauma, and talking with other foster care alumni has given me a sense of peace,” she said.

Reeves’ efforts to develop as a foster care alumna and advocate include speaking at the Michigan Teen Conference and participating in a Fostering Futures Scholarship event with the Michigan Education Trust.