From a young age, Destiny was familiar with chaos. At fourteen, she and her six siblings entered the foster care system when their mother could no longer care for them. Destiny remembers feeling unstable and unsafe, describing her experience as being “like a leaf in a wind storm.” 

Her story was unfolding in unpredictable ways, but during this difficult period, she and her siblings were adopted by Heather. Destiny says that Heather gave them something they had never truly known: “a real home.” Heather’s presence helped quiet the uncertainty Destiny had faced for years. At fifteen, she also connected with Valley Youth House and remains “forever grateful” to have found a safe space to “break away from the chaos.” Through our programs, Destiny began to use her voice, value herself, and look toward the future. She became a member of the Youth Advisory Board to advocate for youth in similar situations and served as our Setting the Stage Youth Speaker in 2017. 

Now 28, Destiny is a skilled businesswoman and the mother of two daughters whom she cherishes deeply. She is also enrolled in school to become a family attorney, pursuing her passion for supporting vulnerable families. In a transition that brings her journey back to its roots, Valley Youth House is honored to have Destiny on our staff as a Life Skills Case Manager and Family Advocate in our Supervised Independent Living Program (SIL).

Looking back, Destiny finds humor in how things have evolved. While Valley Youth House was once her escape from instability, her colleagues now affectionately refer to her as the resident “chaos coordinator.” We are incredibly proud to have Destiny on our team and look forward to seeing where her journey takes her next.

For more stories about our inspiring youth, read about Oralee and Tori.