Every Step of the Way: Conversations that Inspire

In the season finale, Georgia Boothe and Phoebe Boyer reflect on the stories shared throughout the season. Joined by returning guest Frances Lopez and new guest David Giordano, they discuss the lasting impact of Children’s Aid’s programs and how alumni voices help shape the organization’s future and continued commitment to children and families.

In this episode of “Every Step of the Way,” Children’s Aid leaders Rodney Lee and Brenda Triplett talk with alumnae Kimberly Mercedes and Tauryian Sparrow about the educational experiences and outcomes of young people in foster care. Kimberly Mercedes, a sophomore at Hunter College majoring in clinical psychology, shares how consistent support helped her overcome the instability that is often associated with foster care and stay on track toward her goals. 

After years of homeschooling, Tauryian Sparrow entered both public school and foster care at 16 years old. While coping with the loss of her father, she found mentorship, support, and critical resources through Children’s Aid that helped transform the course of her life. 

Together, their stories highlight how young people can thrive after foster care when resilience is matched with meaningful support, access to opportunities, and caring adults who stand beside them every step of the way. 

In episode 4 of “Every Step of the Way,” Children’s Aid leaders Sarah Jonas and Casper Lassiter have an illuminating conversation with alumna Judy Edwards, who reflects on growing up at the Stephen Foster Community Center in Harlem, where mentorship and arts programming helped shape her path to college, law school, and community leadership. Judy shares how one supportive environment uplifted not just her, but three generations of her family, giving them all the confidence and courage to pursue their dreams.  

This episode explores how Children’s Aid community centers serve as neighborhood anchors, nurturing confidence, opportunity, and generational impact.

What happens when a parent finds not just a program, but a community? In this inspiring episode of “Every Step of the Way,” Children’s Aid leaders Moria Cappio and Margot Sigmone speak with Marlyn Garcia, a mother of two children whose experience in Children’s Aid early childhood programming transformed her confidence and her family’s path forward.  

Marlyn shares how home-based and center-based services helped her children hit key developmental milestones and helped her discover her own voice as a new mom. Their conversation shines a light on Children’s Aid’s holistic approach to early childhood, showing how supporting parents and children together builds stronger families and stronger communities. 

In this episode of “Every Step of the Way,” Children’s Aid leaders Drema Brown and Abe Fernández sit down with alumna Chanel A. Ramírez to talk about the transformative impact of community schools. Chanel reflects on her journey from student to staff member at a Children’s Aid community school, and how those experiences sparked her path to becoming a neuroscience researcher. 

The conversation explores how Children’s Aid community schools create real opportunity through trusted relationships, enriching after-school programs, meaningful parent engagement, and a commitment to supporting the whole child.  

Later in the episode, alumna Troy Brown joins the conversation to share how attending a Children’s Aid community school from kindergarten through eighth grade shaped his academic confidence, social development, and college success.

What happens when a school becomes more than a place to learn? In this episode of Every Step of the Way, hosts Drema Brown, head of school and co-founder of Children's Aid College Prep Charter School, and Abe Fernández, Director of the National Center for Community Schools, explore what makes a community school different — and why every school should aspire to be one. They're joined by two Children's Aid alumni whose lives were shaped by that very model: Chanel A. Ramirez, a community research liaison studying brain health and dementia in underrepresented populations, and Troy Brown, a current engineering student at the University of Wisconsin.

From a costume crisis turned core memory to a chance Zoom encounter with the CEO of Children's Aid, Chanel's story traces a winding path from student to staff member to scientist — one shaped at every turn by relationships, representation, and a community that refused to let her go it alone. Troy's story picks up the thread from a different angle, showing how generational ties to Children's Aid — through his own parents' work there — built the foundation for his academic and personal growth. Together, their stories make the case that community schools aren't just about academics. They're about removing the barriers — big and small — that stand between a child and their full potential.

Key Takeaways

[02:56] — Drema defines a community school as one built around the strengths and needs of its students and surrounding community.

[11:30] — Chanel shares her "Cinderella from the hood" story — a staff member turning a ruined costume into a lifelong core memory.

[15:00] — Drema breaks down chronic absenteeism and how community schools coordinate resources to remove the real barriers behind it.

[21:24] — Chanel explains her research into closing racial gaps in pediatric brain-development studies.

[30:23] — From Cinderella to researcher. Chanel shares for future Children’s Aid kids

[38:10] — Chanel recounts a profound moment with a 10-year-old student, Carlos, who reflected on keeping "despair" in a small place in his mind.  

[40:38] — Troy shares that both of his parents worked at Children's Aid, including his mother under Drema herself.

[46:26] — Troy credits his Children's Aid education with preparing him for a top-rated engineering program at the University of Wisconsin. 

Resources Mentioned

• Children's Aid — childrenaid.org — Provides community schools, after-school programs, summer camps, and wraparound services across New York City.
• Children's Aid College Prep Charter School — A K-8 community school in the South Bronx serving approximately 600 students.
• National Center for Community Schools — Children's Aid's technical assistance arm, helping organizations nationwide start, scale, and sustain community schools.
• Wagon Road Camp — Children's Aid's overnight summer camp in Chappaqua, NY.
• PS5 — The Children's Aid Community School where Chanel was both a student and later a staff member.
• City College, CUNY — Where Chanel earned her bachelor's degree in psychology.
• Teachers College, Columbia University — Where Chanel earned her master's degree in neuroscience and education.
• Baby's First Year Study — The first U.S. poverty-intervention trial studying the effects of cash gifts on family and child brain development.
• Posse Scholarship — A full-tuition merit and leadership scholarship Troy received for college.
• University of Wisconsin — Where Troy currently studies engineering.

When Karina Melendez was 10 years old, she was diagnosed with bone cancer. By 15, her family's financial strain had brought her into the foster care system. What could have been a story of loss became something far more powerful — a testament to what happens when the right people show up at the right time. In this episode of Every Step of the Way, host Georgia Booth and co-host Rhonda Braxton, VP of Health and Wellness at Children's Aid, sit down with Karina to trace her journey from medical foster care patient to Columbia University graduate and soon-to-be licensed social worker.

Karina's story is bracingly honest — about the anger she carried toward her mother, the years she spent trying to do it all alone, and the moment a therapist handed her a phone and changed everything. It's also a story about resilience as something relational, built not in isolation but through the people who refuse to let you disappear. Georgia and Rhonda use Karina's experience to widen the lens, speaking candidly about the social determinants of health, the pressures facing families today, and why safety net services are not a luxury — they're a lifeline.

Key Takeaways

[04:14] — Karina entered foster care at 15 through Children's Aid's medical program while in remission from bone cancer.

[06:59] — Rhonda explains Children's Aid's Medical Foster Care Program and its core philosophy: focus on possibility, not limitation.

[11:53] — Karina's mother shaved her own head in solidarity during chemo, refusing to let it grow back until Karina's did.

[14:40] — Karina reflects on how her mother's post-illness struggles led to homelessness and foster care, and cautions against blaming individuals over systemic pressures.

[18:11] — The hardest part of Karina's journey wasn't the cancer — it was the damage done to her relationship with her mother.

[20:22] — Karina shares what she learned through social work school: resilience is relational, built through other people, not in spite of needing them.

[23:30] — A therapist handed Karina the phone and made her call her mentor Eva — the moment that brought her back to Columbia and turned everything around.

[27:14] — Karina's message to students in foster care: progress, not perfection — and don't be afraid to lean on your people.

[27:51] — Karina redefines success: "Being in a place where you can turn around and help someone else behind you."

[47:05] — Each guest shares a symbolic object; Karina's are her high school and college diplomas, hanging on her wall at home.

[53:38] — Rhonda addresses the social determinants of health and how Children's Aid works to connect families to wraparound resources.

[55:32] — Georgia calls on citizens and elected officials to protect safety net services for families who are struggling right now.

Resources Mentioned

• Children's Aid — childrenaid.org — Provides foster care, medical foster care, mental health services, school-based health centers, food and nutrition programs, and more across New York City.
• Children's Aid Medical Foster Care Program — Intensive case management for children and teens with complex medical needs, including nurse case managers, physicians, and behavioral health support.
• Health Connections — Children's Aid's healthcare home, part of the Health and Wellness Division overseen by Rhonda Braxton.
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center — Referenced as the hospital where Karina received her cancer diagnosis and treatment.
• Administration for Children's Services (ACS) — The New York City agency through which children enter the foster care system.
• Columbia University — Where Karina completed her undergraduate degree.
• (Coming next episode) Children's Aid Community Schools Program — Schools as environments that support the whole child, not just a place for learning.

Season 2 of Every Step of the Way continues to center alumni voices while introducing a rotating co-host format that reflects the breadth of leadership across Children’s Aid. Georgia Boothe anchors the opening and closing episodes, while organizational leaders host thematic conversation tied to their areas of expertise. 

In the season finale of “Every Step of the Way,” hosts Sandra Escamilla and Georgia Boothe sit down with Dr. Raja Flores, the chief of thoracic surgery at Mount Sinai and board member at Children's Aid. Dr. Flores shares his incredible journey from growing up in the Meatpacking District amidst challenging circumstances to becoming a prominent figure in the medical field. Through engaging discussions, Dr. Flores emphasizes the critical role of supportive mentors and safe spaces for at-risk youth. He recounts how sports, orthodontic care, and compassionate mentors at Children's Aid played pivotal roles in his development and confidence.

In this episode of ‘Every Step of the Way,’ host Georgia Boothe and guest host Sarah Jonas, vice president of the Youth Division at Children's Aid, engage in an inspiring conversation with Julissa Contreras, an alumna of Children's Aid. Julissa shares her inspiring journey from a student in the South Bronx to an award-winning playwright and advocate for community justice. She reflects on the essential role the organization played in her life, empowering her through after-school programs like community justice and youth leadership. Through these programs, she found her voice, passion, and a pathway to a successful career. Julissa also details her current work with nonprofits and offers valuable advice for both the new generation and staff at Children's Aid.