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Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Ashley Rhodes-Courter
01:13

Ashley Rhodes-Courter

Atlanta, GA USA

"Don’t dwell. Do. Figure out how to move forward."

Career Roadmap

Ashley's work combines: Non-Profit Organizations, Politics, and Upholding a Cause and Belief

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Day In The Life

Author & Child-Welfare Advocate

I am a former foster child, motivational speaker, activist, and a New York Times & International Bestselling Author.

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Day In The Life Of An Author, Social Worker, And Child-Welfare Advocate

My Day to Day

As a social worker, I work with young people in the system to make sure they are thriving in their home, school, etc. I also run a nonprofit and my job changes daily. I organize meetings, fundraise, advocate, and more. As a speaker, I travel the country and globe addressing businesses, schools, colleges, and groups that work with children, women, and families.

Skills & Education

Advice for getting started

You are going to have good days and bad days. You have to wade it out until the wave comes to push you back to shore. Embrace your weaknesses and don't let them burden you.

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Business/Corporate Communications, General

    Eckerd College

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General

    Eckerd College

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Political Science and Government, General

    Eckerd College

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Psychology, General

    Eckerd College

  • Graduate Degree

    Social Work

    University of Southern California

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life took a while to figure out

  • 1.

    Was born to a single teen mother and was put into foster care at the age of three, where she spent the next 10 years living at over 14 homes.

  • 2.

    Many of the foster care homes she lived in were mentally and physically abusive environments—she later learned that 25 percent of her caregivers either were or became convicted felons.

  • 3.

    School became her sanctuary and it helped her cope with and transcend her circumstances—says “nobody could beat my knowledge out of me.”

  • 4.

    She was eventually adopted from a children’s home when she was 12.

  • 5.

    Says all of her experiences growing up “created a platform of passion” and a desire to advocate for others—as a teen, she got directly involved in lawsuits that changed foster care laws.

  • 6.

    At age 17, she won a writing contest with an essay about her life and was granted a book deal—her first book, “Three Little Words,” became a New York Times and international bestseller.

  • 7.

    Earned a full scholarship to Eckerd College, where she majored in communications and theater and minored in political science and psychology; she also holds a master’s degree in social work.

  • 8.

    She is now a celebrated speaker, advocate, nonprofit founder, author, and foster parent working to change policies surrounding the foster care system and provide support to children and parents.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Society in general:

    You are just going to be another statistic.

  • How I responded:

    I made a point to not get into trouble or get involved in activities that could potentially derail my life. I focused on school and knew that that would help me get to where I wanted to go in life.

Experiences and challenges that shaped me

Click to expand

  • I was born to a single teen mother and by the age of 3 I was in Florida’s foster care system where I spent almost ten years in and out of 14 homes. Some of these home environments were very abusive and the constant moving around took a toll.

  • I excelled in school because education was the one thing that nobody could take away from me and I wanted to be able to advocate for other children who had grown up under similar circumstances.