When speaking with Yesenia her passion for journalism is instantaneously apparent as she talks about her goal of studying abroad; her smile beaming from cheek to cheek.
Yesenia is currently a full time student at Arizona State University in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She is also working on a minor in Spanish. She first heard about Opportunity Passport through her Nina Mason Scholars network.
“I am just so grateful for the oppor
tunity to open a savings account and to purchase assets that are really needed. With Opportunity Passport you get real world experience managing money and you become grateful for all the opportunities it opens up.”
While working a part time job and saving her hard earned money, Opportunity Passport matched Yesenia’s savings of $1,500 for a total of $3,000 to help her purchase a life-changing asset. Yesenia made her dreams come true to study abroad in Costa Rica San Jose at Veritas University during her 2016 semester!
“Having my savings matched and being able to study abroad has huge implications for my future. The key to being a good journalist is being well rounded, cultured, and open-minded and this opportunity provides those experiences so I can be a great journalist.”
As Yesenia prepares for takeoff, she is already saving for her next asset purchase. She is currently without dental care and working to save funds for a needed procedure. With Opportunity Passport, Yesenia can break down those barriers and stay on top of her health and wellness so she can have the trip of a lifetime.
Help a youth like Yesenia in making their goals come true by “Sponsoring a Youth” today! Click here to learn more.
Transitioning from foster care at age 18 and becoming an independent young adult can be very exciting and nerve wrecking. There are many significant responsibilities to manage and at times we forget, or don’t prioritize, the importance of obtaining or maintaining health insurance. Thankfully, there is now health insurance for former foster care youth known as 
Prior to YATI, there was minimal support for health insurance for former foster care youth. As a result, I aged out of foster care without health insurance, which caused a lot of financial and health obstacles for me. From the ages of 18-23, I was without health insurance and during that time I had a few medical emergencies that resulted in thousands of dollars in medical debt that took me several years to pay off. My story of being ineligible for health insurance as a former foster care child, before the implementation of YATI, is not unique. There were many other young adults who had aged out of care, became uninsured and were unable to seek regular or emergency medical attention without the fear of paying costly medical bills.
When I was in foster care, one of the most helpful organizations that provided me with a great support system was 
