Posted by Staff
February 11th, 2010

PARADISE — Being a foster child was a relief for Erin St. Onge. Now 17, she remembers her first foster home as the beginning of a new life.

"I was in the eighth grade. I was cleaning the house for Thanksgiving. The foster mom's name was Gail, and she told me I did a good job and thanked me. I remember thinking, how nice it was to be thanked and told that I did a good job."

Recently Erin was honored for more important strides she has made. She was named 2010 Youth of the Year by Boys & Girls Clubs of the North Valley.

She is indeed resilient. "I believe in God, I'm a Christian. When things were breaking down all around me, I knew God was there and I'd be fine. The things that have happened have prepared me for the future, and have given me wisdom for life."

Erin grew up with a single mother, one of four siblings. "When I was in second grade she got a boyfriend, and things got tough. He was not good. I actually wanted to go to a foster home. I wanted to be safe."

She got her wish. She and her brothers were finally removed from their home by Children's Services Division, and Erin spent years in several foster homes. "My brothers and I got to stay together, so that was good ... I felt relief and I felt safe.

"Some of them (foster parents) were so nice. Others were not so good, and said they were in it for the money."

Erin has moved forward in every way. A senior at Paradise High School, she will graduate this year. She is already living in her own

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little house, because she successfully participates in the county's Independent Living Program for foster teens.
Through the program, she learned about running a house, including keeping a budget, and she has a job. But being responsible is nothing new for Erin. "I've been called a 'Parentified Child,'" she said, referring to a child who because of circumstances beyond her control, grows up acting as the parent.

"I kind of took care of everybody," she said.

Erin values living on her own. "When I was preparing for it, I was so nervous — I made it way harder than it was. I psyched myself out. But I'd been planning it since I was 16, and it's fine. I like living by my own schedule."

One of the major factors that helped change her life, she said, was the Boys and Girls Club. She wrote a letter to club supporters in December 2009:

"When I was 13 I was placed in foster care because my home was a dangerous place for me and my brothers. At the time that I went into the foster home I had no confidence. I had major trust issues and to be totally honest, I really did not like people. My foster parents thought I might like the Boys and Girls Club so I got my membership and went every day after school. Going made my life a lot easier because the staff was among the few people that I felt did not judge me for being in foster care ... The club gave me hope and helped me to feel that I could rise above my past and finally move forward ... I can wake up, feel good about myself and look forward to the rest of my day."

Erin now works after school for the club as a recreational aide at Ponderosa School, a Boys and Girls Club site. When she turns 18 in March, she can work as a recreational counselor. Both positions are paid.

"I have always loved kids, and I love this job. No two days are ever the same here."

Although she is not acquainted with any children in foster care, she does encounter the occasional child who needs encouragement. "I always see the glass half-full and I hate to see kids upset. I like to help them see the bright side."

Erin's plans include attending Butte College, then Chico State University, and eventually becoming an elementary school counselor.

In a nutshell

Name: Erin St. Onge

Age: 17

Hometown: Paradise

Occupation: Paradise High School senior, recreation aide at a Boys and Girls Club site in Paradise

Kudos: 2010 Youth of the Year, Boys and Girls Clubs of the North Valley

For fun: Keeps a journal, writes poetry, listens to music, runs.

Good experience: "I just met my dad for the first time during Christmas vacation. I think I'm like him — I think that's where I get my resilience. I'll see him again during spring break."

On the Boys and Girls Club: "I absolutely would not be where I am today if not for the Boys and Girls Club."

Staff writer Mary Nugent can be reached at 896-7764 or mnugent@chicoer.com.

Original Article - http://www.chicoer.com/lifestyle/ci_14378984

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