she/her
5 years in care
Kalia was born and raised in Oregon, having been a foster youth on and off throughout her life. Kalia is currently a third-year student at Oregon State University, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a focus in Law and Policy, along with a minor in Psychology, working on her path towards becoming a criminal defense attorney. She is currently an active competitor of Oregon State’s Mock Trial team, a legal assistant/intern at a law firm, an honor roll student, and a strong advocate/public speaker for bettering the system. Kalia’s lived experiences have further fueled her dedication to ensuring every individual receives fair and equal treatment and is truly heard regardless of race, gender, history, finances, etc. This is also what led her to be interested in becoming a Oregon Youth Advisory Counsel (OYAC) leader. Through FosterClub, Kalia hopes to continue advocating for those who are in a system that has a high need for change and to help prevent unsafe scenarios that had happened in her time of being in care. Her true goal is to contribute as much as she can with her in-depth knowledge and extensive experiences. Most importantly, Kalia wants to help individuals to always hold onto hope, which is what she changed her last name to, as for her, it means, Hold On Pain Ends.
