If Given A Chance Speech | May 12, 2025

Good evening everyone. It’s truly an honor to stand before you tonight.

Someone once said: “Some childhoods are had, and some are survived.” Mine was definitely survived.

I was a recipient of If Given A Chance in the class of 2007 — back when I was a 16-year-old student at Vintage High School, living in foster care.

But to understand how I got there, let me take you back a bit to my story.

I moved to the United States from Russia when I was four years old. My parents brought three kids with them, and a fourth was born in San Francisco not long after we arrived — my youngest sister.

Life in a new country was harder than expected. My parents struggled to find their footing, and experienced difficulty adapting to a new life in the US. We quickly fell deep into poverty.

By the time I was seven, we were evicted from our home. I remember sleeping in our car in Golden Gate Park, in shelters — anywhere we could find. My little sister was only two years old at the time— the same age my youngest daughter is now.

That hits differently these days.

Eventually, my siblings and I were separated. Family and friends tried to ease the burden, and my older sister and I were sent to live with relatives in Michigan. For a while, I had some stability — a warm home, regular meals, time with aunts, uncles, cousins – a childhood.

But when I returned to California at age 10, that peace shattered.

My siblings were split up again. My mom disappeared. My brother stayed with my father. My older sister returned to Michigan. And my younger sister and I ended up with a man who was supposed to be a family friend — Little did I know, he was an abuser in disguise, a true wolf in sheep’s clothing.

That was the darkest year of my life.

I remember walking to school every day, silently praying that everything would stop. I thought about suicide constantly. But what kept me going… was her — my little sister. I couldn’t leave her behind with him.

Eventually, my older sister rejoined us, and when she learned what was happening, she bravely spoke up. That day, we were pulled out of school with just the clothes on our backs. We were taken into custody by Children’s Protective Services. We never went back to that house. And leaving it was one of the best days of my life.

Foster care wasn’t perfect — it came with its own challenges — but for the first time in years, I felt safe. I had food. I had a bed. But most importantly…. I had hope.

At 13, my younger sister and I were placed with a Korean-American foster family here in Napa. They valued education, discipline, church, and service. At first it was an adjustment — but this was the structure I needed.

Going to church grounded me. It helped me to start healing from the past.

I found friends and belonging in the youth group. And I went from eating in soup kitchens… to volunteering in them. That shift transformed something inside me. I was healing and becoming the person I was supposed to be.

I was also blessed by incredible teachers and mentors in Napa:

My English teacher gave me a notebook I used to process everything I had been through. I still have it to this day.

A history teacher gave me my first copy of The Economist. I read it cover to cover — and suddenly, the world felt big and full of possibility. That’s what inspired me to study Economics.

Another Vintage High School teacher went as far as to drive me to a scholarship interview in San Francisco, something I’ll never forget.

Finally, my school counselor — who became my foster mom — opened her home to me during my senior year and helped guide me.

With this community around me, a newly found faith, and hope, I made a decision:

My past wasn’t going to define me. I wasn’t going to be pushed down again. I wouldn’t just survive — I wanted to thrive. I snapped into what I can only call Beast Mode.

I took advanced classes. I joined extracurriculars. I went on 5 AM runs, giving myself pep talks that started with: “You are a cold, ruthless warrior…” I know, a little intense — and maybe a bit neurotic — but I was determined. And… it worked.

I got into Brandeis University near Boston with a solid financial aid package. And I was thrilled to be accepted into If Given A Chance, thanks to the recommendation of my counselor and foster mom.

The financial support covered the cost of books and gave me some pocket money — which meant the world to me, because I never really had any.

But more than money, it meant that someone believed in me. And… that made all the difference. Today, If Given A Chance, provides students with even more support.

Around the same time, I was also selected for a program called Students Rising Above — now a partner organization to If Given A Chance that provides long-term mentorship, education and career support. Today, I sit on the board of directors at Students Rising Above — a way for me to give back.

I share that because it shows the ripple effect that starts with programs like If Given A Chance. When you help one student, you’re not just changing their trajectory — you’re empowering them to reach back and uplift others.

…..

Today, I’m proud to say I graduated from Brandeis with a degree in Economics and a Master’s in International Finance.

I started at [a leading tech company] as an intern just before graduation — and I’ve been there ever since. 14 years and counting.

I’m married now, and a mother of two beautiful daughters. And my husband and I are raising them in a home filled with love, safety, and stability.

And yes — I’ve toned down the cold, ruthless warrior stuff… at least for now.

Though my siblings and I never all lived in the same city again after we were separated, we remained close. All of us — except my youngest sister. She didn’t live long enough to tell her story.

So I tell mine for her, too.

To the students in the room tonight — I see you. You’ve faced hardships and fought through it. Keep going. Keep doing the work.

Take strength from wherever you can find it — mentors, friends, your faith, your books, history, and from this organization.

Because If Given A Chance isn’t just about helping students. It’s about changing family trees.

When you invest in a student’s education, you change their future. And their siblings’ futures. And the lives of the children they will raise. And the communities they’ll serve.

You create ripples that last for generations.

Thank you — from the bottom of my heart — for being here tonight, and for being part of that change.