Former Foster Care Youth and Mother of Two Thrives at SDSU

Former Foster Care Youth and Mother of Two Thrives at SDSU

The toughest part about being in multiple foster homes, according to Brooklyn Lopez, is the challenge of adhering to “different sets of rules and types of discipline, while trying to function in completely different environments with a positive attitude.” 

She would know. During her childhood, Lopez lived in four foster homes and a temporary county shelter for children. She and two siblings also lived with her aunt in Texas while her mother was battling drug and alcohol abuse, but her aunt returned the three to their mother the day she got out of rehabilitation because, according to Lopez “we were too much to handle and she wasn’t getting paid enough.” 

Despite the constant upheavals in her living arrangements, Lopez is now firmly on the path to earning both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting through the BMACC program at the Fowler College of Business at SDSU. 

But Lopez’s path to academic success has been paved with struggles that few could imagine. Her single mother had eight children, including Lopez. Five of her siblings lived with their fathers, while Lopez, a younger sister and brother remained with their mother. “I learned to cook, clean and take care of my siblings at a very early age, because my mom would leave in the middle of the night to go to drug houses,” recalled Lopez. “Sometimes, she’d take us with her on a school night while drinking and driving so she could go and fetch her drugs. On top of that, her physical and verbal abuse has us left permanent scars.” 

Brooklyn Lopez

Education was a Way Out
Even with the mistreatment and chaos constantly swirling around her, Lopez said she understood that getting an education would be the best way to rise above her difficult circumstances. After graduating with honors from West Hills High School in Santee, California, the San Diego native attended Cuyamaca College where she earned three associate degrees (with honors) in accounting, business administration and economics in 2019.  

While attending Cuyamaca, Lopez applied to SDSU “because of the great reputation of the Fowler College of Business, especially in the accounting program.” Prior to getting her acceptance letter, Lopez attended a Guardian Scholars event at the university’s campus, which further fueled her quest to attend SDSU. 

Guardian Scholars Offers a Lifeline
SDSU’s Guardian Scholars Program provides financial resources, along with personal, academic and career counseling to unaccompanied homeless youth, wards of the court and students like Lopez who have aged out of the foster care system. “The Guardian Scholars Program has made a tremendous impact on my life and has inspired me to strive even harder than before,” said Lopez. “It was so amazing to be able to connect with young individuals like myself with similar backgrounds and who are trying to pursue success just like I am.”

The off-campus housing financial assistance provided by the Guardian Scholars program has been especially helpful to Lopez since she is not only a full-time student, but she is also the mother of two children. “My sons, Roman, who is three-years-old, and Royce, who is one, have been my biggest motivation,” she said. “I wake up every day and do what I do because of them. I try to be the mother that I needed when I was growing up.”

Lopez and her son, Roman, enjoy a sunset on the beach

Lopez keeps in touch with her mother as she continues to struggle with substance abuse. “While she was intoxicated, she was injured after being hit by a car in December 2019, then she was re-injured in a car accident in April 2020,” explained Lopez.  “Right now, my mother is hospitalized for psychiatric issues and the county’s Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) has decided that they will send her directly to an inpatient program.” 

Future Grad Student/CPA
Though Lopez continues to harbor concerns about her mother, she is more focused on a brighter future for herself and her children as she completes her junior year at SDSU. Lopez currently works part-time at Cuyamaca College as a financial aid assistant and does volunteer work in the school’s NextUp Foster Youth program. In addition, she is “planning to do a full-time internship this summer at KBF CPAs here in San Diego.” This fall, Lopez plans to apply for the BMACC program which will put her on track to graduate in 2022. 

Said Lopez: “I’ll be CPA eligible by the time I graduate from SDSU. I am keeping my options open, but eventually see myself working as a CPA in a mid-size accounting firm.”