SANDY, Utah — There is something special about visiting a salon and getting your nails done — you get to pick a fun color and talk about life. It was at Salon Dante & Day Spa in Sandy where 13-year-old Rachel opened up about her life.

“I like to play basketball, soccer, I just like all sports in general,” said Rachel.

Rachel has lived in foster care for five years, and she doesn’t shy away from talking about how difficult that journey has been for her. She entered foster care with a sister, who has already been adopted.

“There was this one time I was in a foster home and they had a son who said I was just a paycheck to them,” said Rachel.

It’s comments like that that cut deep, for kids like Rachel living in foster care wasn’t her choice.

“It hurts like I feel like I’ll never get a family just because. I feel I’ll be that type of person who’s going to be like, who is never going to fit in,” Rachel said.

Rachel wants to be adopted, she wants to be in a home with parents who will be there to support her and guide her.

“Sometimes I don’t know what a family is because I’ve never had a mom figure in my life or a dad figure. So I don’t know how it feels to have that mom and dad support you in stuff,” she said.

Rachel is a sweet girl who cares about animals — she has several reptiles as pets and would love to have a dog. She also cares deeply about her friends and talks about how important they are to her. She also wants to go to college and become a lawyer so she can help other children living in foster care.

“I just want to be that type of person who is there for someone who has been through the same things I have,” she explained.

Rachel isn’t giving up hope, she believes her forever family is out there. She just hopes they find her soon so she doesn’t have to continue on her journey alone.

“I see my future in a home, I don’t care what that home looks like, but I just want to be in a good home where I can have my dog, and I want to be able to go to college to be a lawyer and to live with my best friend,” she said.

For more information about Rachel please contact Raise the Future at 801-265-0444 or visit raisethefuture.org.