So true disclaimer, and I'm going to date myself just a little bit, but I'm realizing that nothing in life is ever straightforward. And the funny part is, when I was younger, I never thought I'd say this, but I've, I've actually become a bit of a storyteller. But you know, the truth is, I've come to understand the importance of of our journey, and how every single step, even the painful ones, they really do, shape who we are and how we show up in the world, for for others. So indulge me for a moment. Here's my story. So about 10 years ago, I was the executive director of one of the Boys and Girls Clubs in Boston, and one morning, before my staff and the children arrived, I walked into the conference room, which I would often do because, you know, it was a serene space, and it had these huge floor to ceiling windows, and when you looked out, you could see a wide green field, which was known as Franklin field, and it's a popular public park and gathering space in Dorchester, which is in the inner city. And the park is often utilized for hosting things like youth sports and community events, but if you look just beyond the field, you'd see the Franklin field housing development, which, when I was growing up, was called. They weren't housing developments. They were housing projects. But that's where my story began. Franklin field was home for me until I was around three years old, before being removed from my mother and placed into the child welfare system. So my parents were teenagers when I was born. My mother was only 17, and they were never married. They were both products of that same environment, and sadly, my mom, she struggled with alcohol and drug addiction nearly her entire life, and it's what she eventually succumbed to. And both she and my father spent time in and out of the prison system, but life there in Franklin field was hard. You know, families face poverty, trauma, limited opportunities, and so for many they it's hard to break that cycle, and it becomes a vicious cycle, and it's not uncommon to see generations of families who grow up in these housing developments, and yet there I was all of those years later, standing in that conference room, looking out the window the executive director of a major community organization, and in that moment, my whole life flashed before me, and I thought about everything I had been through. You know, by the time I was 16 and reconnected with my biological parents, I had already lived in at least six different foster homes. I had endured abuse. I had faced domestic violence. I had attempted suicide, beginning as early as six years old. But standing at that window, it was it was different. You know, something shifted at me, and it was a pivotal moment, because no one, and I will say, not even me, would have imagined that little girl from the Franklin field housing development could have made it to where I was. And you know, the truth is, I didn't make it there alone. My foster mother, in fact, she's the only person I've ever called mom took me in when I. Eight was five until I turned 11 years old, and she changed my life. She taught me the value of hard work. She showed up for me all of the time and showed me the importance of education. I earned two master degrees, but more than that, she showed me what it meant for a child to have a consistent, caring adult in their life. And that is what changed everything for me. And so that day, looking out the window, I realized something my passion for children, it really wasn't just passion, it was purpose that I believe was calling me forward, and that purpose, eventually is what led me to Boston, casa, where I've been leading for a little over three years, and right now, we're on an ambitious growth path to triple the number of children we serve and double our budget by 2028 and today we have more than 200 volunteers serving over 300 children, and our goal is to reach over 500 children in the next couple of years, which means more volunteers, more staff, more resources. So when I think about that little girl from Franklin field, when I think about her journey, and then I look at the work that I feel so blessed to do with over 200 amazing volunteers who I can't wait to share more about, as well as an incredible staff, board of directors and just a host of other stakeholders. It really does feel like life has come full circle. Now I know I was fortunate, I must say that, and I beat many odds, and for so many children in foster care, the outcomes are, they're heartbreaking. You know, statistically, only half will graduate from high school, just three to 4% will earn a four year college degree. 50% will experience homelessness by age 76 70% will be arrested at least once by that same age. So children, they don't get to choose their parents. You know, they don't get to choose the circumstances they're born into. And when they're removed from their homes, it's traumatic. They may bounce from foster placement to foster placement, change schools over and over, see professionals rotate in and out of their lives, and this is where Casa truly can make just a significant difference.