Rayla James is a former foster youth who aged out of the system and is now a 21-year-old college student at the University of Central Florida, majoring in Elementary Education. She is a thriving youth advocate, state-wide and in her local community, serving on the Brevard Youth Leadership Council, pushing for youth voice and choice within the care system. James works collectively with child welfare professionals across Florida to promote and sustain youth-adult partnerships and bring her firsthand experience to the table to influence policy and implement change. James plans to transfer her advocacy efforts into her career to serve her students better while she continues to support the youth voice movement consistently for years to come.
