Samantha Banser, Wartburg College, Iowa

Samantha Banser is the founder and co-president of Brighter Tomorrows, a non-profit that provides housing, support, and mentoring for youth who have aged out of the foster care system. Banser started this program because she had friends that were in foster homes and as they grew older together she realized the unique challenges of aging in the foster care system. She investigated the need by meeting with organizations and individuals in the foster system, as well as several individuals that had aged out of the system.  From this research she took an informed action to meet a community need.