Her earliest childhood memories are about addicted adults and fighting. Mother’s neglect was her life experience, and soon Rebecca became responsible for taking care of her younger sister. Finally, Rebecca and her sister were put in foster care. She lived with a grandmother, an aunt, her mother again, and seven more foster homes. Rebecca went to four high schools in Middle Tennessee. But she realized that “education was my way out” and a way to gain her independence.
Her school counselor said: “Rebecca’s resilience amazes me, but honestly, ‘pulling herself up by her bootstraps’ is not a conscious intention for her, although that’s exactly what she’s done. She seems to possess an innate drive and purpose.” Rebecca plans to become a dental hygienist.