Valley of the Moon Children’s Foundation Presents 34 Scholarships to Foster Youth
SONOMA NEWS After spending much of her youth growing up in six foster homes, Monica Contreras faced a host of challenges as she set out on her own to attend college.
“One of my biggest challenges was the emotional turbulence and general trauma I felt,” said Contreras, who grew up in Santa Rosa and Windsor. “A lot of my problems could have been avoided if I had known how to process my emotions.”
With the help of a therapist, Contreras has begun to address the problems and has achieved remarkable academic success, receiving her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and is now pursuing a master’s degree in clinical psychology at Columbia University Teachers College in New York City.