After ten years in foster care and more than 30 placements, Corey Benbow found himself on his own at 18 years old.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I aged out of the foster care system, I felt alone. I wasn\u2019t sure how I was going to pay bills and be a contributing member of society.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the biggest hurdles Corey faced was finding support to get his life on track.<\/p>\n
\u201cI turned to ACC. The student support services teams were right there when I needed them. They were understanding and encouraging. Having that engagement throughout my time at ACC really helped me stay on track.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the support of his advisors, Corey enrolled in the Human Services program<\/a>. In fall 2018, Corey transferred to Texas State University to pursue his bachelor\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n \u201cI always knew I\u2019d transfer to a four-year college, but ACC allowed me the flexibility to formulate a degree plan around those goals.\u201d<\/p>\n Corey is one of hundreds of former foster care students who enrolled at ACC.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing a foster kid has many challenges that other kids often don’t experience. When you are shuffled from place to place, often your entire life lives within a plastic garbage bag. It\u2019s tough.\u201d<\/p>\n ACC\u2019s annual luggage drive <\/a>supports students like Corey. It provides teens who are transitioning out of foster care their own, personal suitcase.<\/p>\n \u201cIt may seem simple, but getting a suitcase meant more to me than I can describe. It gave me a place of my own to pack my things. It gave me a sense of pride and security.\u201d<\/p>\n Since the college\u2019s first luggage drive in 2009, ACC has collected more than 315 pieces of luggage and nearly $4,000 in monetary donations.<\/p>\n Now Corey says he wants to make sure the teens who follow in his footsteps have the same opportunities he was given.<\/p>\n \u201cI am not an in-the-box kind of person. When I graduate, I am keeping my options open. I think that I will do many things under the entire premise of making the world a better place. I believe we are here to serve others. We need to do all we can for our community, family, and ourselves to improve the world.\u201d<\/p>\n To learn more and support ACC\u2019s annual luggage drive, visit austincc.edu\/luggagedrive<\/a>. Donations are accepted through May 6.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After ten years in foster care and more than 30 placements, Corey Benbow found himself on his own at 18 years old. \u201cWhen I aged out of the foster care system, I felt alone. I … Continue reading