Ep 62: Aging Out Strong

In this powerful episode of Fostering Conversations, host Amy Smith sits down with Sheri, a resilient young woman who aged out of Utah’s foster care system and is now thriving as a leader at Angels Landing Foundation. Sheri shares her deeply personal story from entering foster care at age 12 after bravely reporting abuse, to cycling through 13 foster homes, and ultimately finding healing, empowerment, and purpose.

Listeners will gain insight into:

• The emotional reality of sibling separation in care

• The challenges of instability and aging out alone

• The importance of supportive adults and safe spaces

• How Angels Landing Foundation is transforming outcomes for aged-out foster youth

Sheri’s journey highlights the real-world impact of organizations like Angels Landing, which provide community, mental health support, life skills training, and financial empowerment to young adults aged 18–26 transitioning out of care.

Resources Mentioned:

• Angels Landing Foundation: angelslandingfoundation.org

• Follow Angels Landing on Instagram: @angelslandingfoundation

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: bbbs.org

• Learn About Foster Care in Utah: utahfostercare.org

Transcript:

Episode 62: Aging Out Strong

Amy: Thank you for joining us for Fostering Conversations. I’m your host, Amy Smith. Today we have Sheri who grew up in foster care and aged out of the foster care system. She currently works at Angels Landing, and we’re so excited to have her with us today. Thanks, Sheri.

Sheri: Thank you.

Amy: You have a really incredible story and I’m sure filled with also a lot of heartache and pain as well. So we wanna be sensitive to that. But would you just start by introducing yourself?

Sheri: Absolutely. [00:01:00] Like you said, my name’s Sheri. I’m 23 years old. Gonna be turning 24 this year and I , work at Angels Landing. I, that’s like the best introduction I think I’ve got.

Amy: I love it. So tell us a little bit what Angel’s Landing is for those who don’t know.

Sheri: So Angels Landing is a nonprofit organization that serves young adults from eighteen to to 26. And our mission statement is Angels Landing builds community centered on empowering young adults transitioning from foster care to achieve self-sufficiency and create a life that they love. And so that is absolutely something that I needed when I aged out of foster care. And it’s been an absolute great opportunity and another resource as someone who doesn’t have tons of resources, and especially that family unit. Having another spot is always something that creates [00:02:00] So much support in my life. And so Angel’s Landing been great and I’m excited to, to dive into what that looks like.

Amy: I love that. So maybe start by telling us a little bit about your story and how you found.

Sheri: I aged into foster care when I was 12 years old. My mom passed away when I was three and a half, and so she passed away in a car accident on Valentine’s Day,

Amy: Oh man.

Sheri: so it’s the love day. So I try to always look at it like all the positives, right? But yep. Lost my mom at thre...