Gaelin Elmore, Speaker, Facilitator, Lived Experience Expert

Being born the youngest of 5 to a struggling household brought many complications for Gaelin. After spending over ten years in the foster care system and experiencing physical, mental, and emotional abuse, he was as good a bet as any to be just another youth chewed up and spat out by the foster system. And it would have been that way if it weren't for his sophomore year of high school. In March of 2012, Gaelin’s dad was arrested, and he was faced with a decision: go back into foster care or drop out of school, run away, and never be seen again.

Luckily, there was another option that he had never considered. Gaelin’s high school coach and his family invited him to live with them. Truthfully, he didn't want to go. Against my wishes, he moved into their home. One year later, he had scholarship offers to just about anywhere he could've wanted to go. He signed to play at the University of Minnesota, graduated in 3 years with a degree in communications, and started his grad degree while playing football and excelling on the field.