Like many young children, Laura Hernandez’s 3-year-old daughter, Ximena, wants to help in the kitchen.
As Laura cooks over the stove, Ximena cracks an egg but drops the entire shell into the bowl. It’s a small, silly moment between mother and daughter. Together, they laugh it off, remove the shell and keep going.
This glimpse into Laura’s life reflects her approach to life’s little – and big – obstacles: meet each one with patience, learn from mistakes and keep moving forward.
Everyday scenes like this one at Laura’s home are part of her larger goal: creating a stable, loving space for the next generation, starting with her own daughter.
Growing Up in Foster Care
Laura’s commitment to resilience and growth began years earlier. At 13, after the loss of her mother, she and her siblings entered the foster care system.
“I moved to a whole new city. I left all my friends behind with no belongings, just whatever it was that I was wearing,” Laura said. “It wasn’t a time where I felt my best. It was an adjustment.”
Instead of letting that chapter define her, she draws on it for strength and purpose.
“Being in the system taught me what I didn’t want my daughter to go through,” Laura said. “It taught me to be patient with myself and helped me find my strength.”
Today, Laura channels that strength into helping others while shaping her career. She is a full-time student at San Diego City College, working toward a degree in social work and the goal of becoming a licensed clinical social worker.
A Second Family Through Promises2Kids
In San Diego County, nearly 2,000 children and young adults are in or have experienced foster care, and up to 80% face significant mental health challenges, compared with about 18–22% of the general population, according to the California Department of Social Services. Laura and her siblings understand those numbers firsthand.
“It was definitely a very difficult time for me and my siblings,” she said. “Being in the foster care system had an impact on me realizing that I was alone after aging out. I felt very depressed and started becoming anxious.”
Her search for support led her to Promises2Kids, an organization that provides current and former foster youth with tools, opportunities and guidance to heal and thrive.
Today, Laura not only attends parenting classes each month, but she also serves as a peer-to-peer youth mentor – sharing the same kind of resources and encouragement she once received.
“This is where I found my second family,” she says. “I was able to build relationships with a lot of people here. It’s been a safe place for me.”
Stephanie Oquendo, who works with Laura at Promises2Kids, sees the impact every day.
“The youth Laura serves are always happy to see her and can hardly believe the story she shares,” she said. “She shows them it’s possible to overcome challenges, face mental health crises and still be happy and whole.”
Laura urges the young people she mentors to keep moving forward.
“Something I tell people facing challenges is that 10% of life is what happens to you, and 90% is what you choose to do with it,” Laura explained. “With that being said, do not give up.”
Finding Her Purpose
Laura’s vision for the future is as steady as that daily breakfast routine with Ximena.
“She’ll make an incredible social worker because she’s been through the system,” says Ashley Burch, Laura’s counselor in City College’s Next Step program. “She’s been incredibly driven to achieve her goals, not only for herself but also for her daughter.”
For Laura, education, mentoring and motherhood are all part of the same purpose: to help other young people see that healing and growth are possible, and most importantly, to build a safe, caring space for Ximena to thrive – the kind she wishes she had as a teen.
“I want my daughter to know there isn’t just one way to live her life,” she said. “Whatever she chooses, I’ll be there to support her.”
Fifty & Forward: Investing in Children and Families
Laura’s journey is one of many stories of resilience in San Diego County.
They illustrate why the San Diego Foundation (SDF) is committing $500 million to its Children and Families focus area, as well as to Education and the Environment, through the SDF Fifty & Forward campaign – to ensure more families have the tools and opportunities they need to thrive.
By supporting partners like Promises2Kids, donors help young people overcome challenges, strengthen their families and build hopeful futures.
More stories like Laura’s mean a stronger, more vibrant region for everyone.
