Athena discusses her personal experiences in the foster care system. She emphasizes the importance of reform by conveying why change is so necessary.

As a former foster youth herself, Athena has focused primarily on improving the child welfare system on a local, state and federal level. Locally, Athena has worked with foster youth one-on-one to mentor youth on how to become their own advocates, how to understand their rights and the system that affects them.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx