Veronica Castillo, fondly known as "Ms. V," is a foster youth alum from San Diego, California, who has dedicated her life to positively impacting young people's lives. Her journey as a leader in education and support for disadvantaged students began in 2009, when she started leading workshops for her peers at Trolley Tressel, a transitional housing program for emancipated foster youth. Her housing case manager recognized her ability to connect with young people and encouraged her to pursue a degree in social work. As a result, Veronica earned a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work from San Diego State University, where she was active in various organizations that supported foster youth. During her time at San Diego State, she was involved with the San Diego State University Scholars Program, the Extended Foster Care Agency, and the YMCA Youth and Family Services Connections Program.With her expertise in Positive Youth Development, Veronica has made a name for herself as a leader in the field. She worked as an EOPS Program Coordinator at Cuyamaca College, where she led the implementation of NextUp and Unlimited Potential (UP!), student support programs aimed at increasing college completion rates for foster youth, unaccompanied homeless youth, and youth raised in guardianship.In addition to her work in higher education, Veronica has also worked with the National Association of Women Judges to lead educational workshops for incarcerated women at the Los Colinas Detention Facility. Her passion for sharing best practices has contributed to the success of the YMCA Youth and Family Services best practices seminar for the Administration for Children and Families. Experienced in research and data analytics, she collaborated with the Institutional Research Department at Cuyamaca College to study the outcomes of campus wide support programs for foster youth. Her achievements as a foster youth alum and her commitment to giving back have earned her recognition as a true success story in her community.Veronica is the founder of Changing the Narrative, an educational consulting group that incorporates student voices to help spread best practices for success in educational programs for disadvantaged students. With her Master's Degree in Social Entrepreneurship and Change, she is dedicated to using her knowledge and experience to develop enterprises that will create opportunities for all disadvantaged youth to play a role in social change.