SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Picking a college is a rite of passage for graduating high school seniors. It’s a time when the world seems wide open – the possibilities endless.

Miguel wants to major in computer science but has a passion for politics. On Wednesday, Lt. Spencer Cox. Met Miguel to tour the Salt Lake Community College campus with him

“Do you want to walk around the building and take a tour,” asked Lt. Gov. Cox.

The two talked of their mutual interest and Miguel’s plans for the future as they walked side by side.

Miguel knows what it means to have an opportunity and he’s determined to not let it pass.

“I’m going to be the first one in my college from my family,” the 18-year-old said with a smile.

Miguel doesn’t live with family anymore; he’s been in foster care for the last four years.

“When (kids in foster care) come around people think since we’re in state custody we must have done something bad and they don’t want to hang out with us,”Miguel explained.

He’s determined to not let circumstances out of his control define who he is.
Now, he wants to make a difference for other kids stuck in foster care and he’s grabbing the opportunity to tell the Lt. Governor about life in state custody.

“We can’t do something because its state regulated,” Miguel explained. “Let’s say for example if we want to open our own bank account so we could feel more independent, we are not allowed.”

Miguel is becoming a voice for the voiceless.

“Sometimes it can be rough for a kid and they feel like everything is against them,” Miguel said.

The teen has never stopped thinking about his future and the futures of other kids like him.

“I’m working, trying to plan out college, trying to figure out my future,” he said. “There is nothing really to be mad about.”

Miguel isn’t sure if adoption will ever happen for him. However, he hopes the right family is out there. He is going to keep planning for his future, armed with the lessons he’s learned and continue helping others.

To learn more about Miguel or the many other children living in the Utah Foster Care system, contact The Utah Adoption Exchange at 801-265-0444 or atwww.adoptex.org.