ROCKFORD, Mich. — Like a good book, 16-year-old Stariana knows some of the best plot twists are worth waiting for.
“I read over 200 last year,” Stariana said.
If you do the math, that’s about four books read weekly.
“I can’t even tell you what I've read off the top of my head,” Stariana said.
So it was no surprise when we walked around Epilogue Books in Rockford that Stariana was familiar with nearly every book on display.
“I’ve wanted to be a librarian, but I’m too loud,” Stariana joked.
She’s also a library of knowledge when it comes to book genres.
“I like thrillers, like murder mysteries. I like romance books,” Stariana said.
Now, she's ready to turn the page on her own story.
“Since I was 11, I've been asking for a family, and nobody's been interested,” Stariana said.
Printed words have offered this teen a passport to the outside world, and experiences she's missed out on living in the foster care system.
“I don't get to go out and experience what it's like to have a boyfriend and be able to be trusted, to be safe and go to school and Driver's Ed and all that stuff,” Stariana said.
Other books have helped her know she’s not the only one with heartache.
“That's also why I like them because it helps me know that I'm not the only one that goes through crazy stuff,” Stariana said.
She’s ready to feel like a typical teen, and have her room, saying she can’t wait to decorate it herself, fill it with books, and have her own safe space.
Stariana remains hopeful for this next chapter in life and says a family would be a perfect happy ending to her story.
“I feel like a family for me, where I would feel safe with them would someone that doesn't judge me for who I am,” Stariana said.
If you're ready to take the next step and give a foster child like Stariana a loving foundation for life, contact Orchards Children's Services.
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