WWU’s Student Outreach Services to Host Panel Discussion on Foster Care March 5

Western Washington University’s Student Outreach Services and Passport to College Promise Scholarship Program will host a panel discussion on general topics related to foster care at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5 in Academic West 210.

Free and open to the public, this discussion will feature four panelists who will lead the discussion:

Peggy Lewis:  Lewis works for Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) as the Child Welfare Programs Independent Living statewide program manager. This program provides foster youth and alumni ages 15 to 21 with the skills necessary to transition to successful adulthood. Lewis is also responsible for managing Passion to Action, Washington State’s Foster Youth and Alumni Advisory Board, which consists of current and former foster youth who provide feedback and recommendations to DCYF on policies and practices. She is a strong champion for youth and is a constant advocate on behalf of foster youth and alumni to be recognized, included, and respected as young professionals in the work that is being done.

Katherine Graff: Graff is a social worker with 18 years of experience in child welfare. She has worked for DCYF for the last 15 years serving youth through foster care, adoptions, and extended foster care.

Monika Nuth: Nuth graduated with a degree in Human Services from WWU.  She has been working at a Skagit County based nonprofit, Youthnet, for four years. Nuth enjoys helping others achieve their goals and hopes to continue this line of work throughout the rest of her career.

Amelita Brown: Brown is a sophomore at Western Washington University and is in the extended foster care program. Brown is an active student on+ campus and hopes to be a part of the Psychology Department soon.

For more information please contact Western Washington University’s Emmanuel Camarillo at Emmanuel.Camarillo@wwu.edu or (360) 650-2456