Melissa Stroud receives Ashtabula County Children Services Board's Rising Up and Moving On award

ASHTABULA — Last year, the county Children Services Board received 2,533 reports of suspected child abuse or neglect, and case workers screened an average of 70 new cases per month. In 2015, the average number of children in out-of-home care was 146, according to the board. 

Melissa Stroud, 17, the board’s “Rising Up and Moving On” awardee, said years ago, she’d never believe her current success. The Austintown Fitch junior said she realized although the county’s case workers and foster parents helped her get where she is today, others aren’t so fortunate.

In 2014, Stroud worked to form the region’s Northeast Ohio Youth Advisory Board, a partner board between Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga counties which works to promote change in the foster care system, from the child’s perspective. At the NEOYAB quarterly meeting in Columbus, Stroud was named treasurer of the state board and media spokesperson.

She’ll be featured on Wednesday’s edition of WYTV’s “Hometown Heroes” segment.

Austintown Fitch is proud of Melissa Stroud

Austintown Fitch Junior, Melissa Stroud, is the true representation of what it means to “overcome the odds.”  Melissa is a student currently in the foster care system having been taken in by an Austintown family this year. Prior to being placed with a family, Melissa was in a youth group home where she was elected into office by a group of her peers to serve as the media spokesperson for the Ohio Youth Advisory Board.

 Melissa was chosen for this opportunity due to her leadership skills, maturity, and strong sense of responsibility.

The Overcoming Hurdles in Ohio Youth Advisory Board is an organization of young people (14-24) who have experienced foster care. It exists to be the knowledgeable statewide voice that influences policies and practices that affect all youth who have or will experience out-of-home care.

Sunday, March 13th through Thursday, March 17th Melissa participated in Three Days on the Hill, which is an annual educational trip to Washington D.C. designed to provide foster care youth and alumni with opportunities to further their leadership development. Only 6 youth from the state were able to participate, and Stroud was placed on the short list of pre-approved attendees.

During the trip Melissa participated in a full day of training along with a meeting at the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) headquarters. In addition, she also attended a meeting with 15 different legislators to discuss how to end the foster care to homeless pipeline, and how to effectively prepare youth in foster care to build successful adult lives. Lisa Dickson, Communications Chair at ACTION Ohio, says she took the training very seriously and excelled during meetings.

After a long week of representing the Ohio Youth Advisory board, Melissa returned to school Friday, March 18th, for yet another major accomplishment; she came back from D.C just in time to be inducted into the Austintown Fitch National Honor Society (NHS)! Students selected for NHS are voted in by their teachers for demonstrating excellence in scholarship, service, leadership, and character. Junior Principal, David Purins said, “It was wonderful to see her walk onto that stage as a member of this prestigious organization.”

Melissa Stroud, Hometown Hero

Hometown Hero: Austintown student overcomes odds

Melissa Stroud grew up in the foster care system, but that didn't stop her from excelling in her academics and work in the community

By Katie DuganWYTV, April 20, 2016, 4:20 pm  

AUSTINTOWN, Ohio (WYTV) – Melissa Stroud is a junior at Austintown Fitch High School. She has been in foster care for the majority of her life and has been moved around for much of it — from foster homes to group homes, eventually landing here in the Youngstown area with her foster mother, Lori.

Stroud’s high school assistant principal calls her a success story, because she has overcome all odds.

She is on the Northeast Ohio Youth Advisory Board and was elected media spokesperson for the Ohio Youth Advisory Board. She recently went on a trip to Washington D.C. to advocate for foster youth. And, she was recently inducted into the National Honor Society.

“Her class has over 450 students in it, and for her to be recognized as one of the students that excels academically, socially, her character, her commitment to the community and community service all really speaks volumes about who Melissa is as a young person,” said Austintown Fitch High School Assistant Principal David Purins.

Stroud says her work with foster care organizations has really helped her find her place.

“Everybody always asks me what I want to do when I get older, where do I see myself in five years. I never really knew. But advocating for foster youth, it’s something that’s really close to home and something I’m very passionate about, and I’m really good at helping people,” she said.

Stroud also has two jobs and is a tutor. She said she plans to continue helping others and working hard on her studies.

It is for these reasons that Stroud was named this week’s Hometown Hero.