Local foster kid wins statewide essay contest about family
By LINDSAY DAVIS — ldavis@lockhaven.comArticle Photos
It was early April and he had just finished a Central Mountain High School Color Guard performance for the families of guard members.
The guard was asked to stay on the floor because there was an announcement to be made. The announcement was that Richards had won first place in his age group, grades nine through 12, in a statewide essay contest about what family means to him.
“I was completely not expecting it. I had just gotten done performing and wasn’t even thinking about that essay,” said Richards, foster son of Barb and Dick Forshey of Swissdale.
The 17-year-old is a Central Mountain High School sophomore.
Two days later, he received a letter in the mail, officially notifying him he had won.
So how did he find out about it before the letter arrived? Richards’ case worker, Bob Farley, was notified beforehand and shared the news with his sister, Patti Carroll, a former foster parent and “color guard mom.” It was she who made the announcement at the guard performance, shortly after notifying Barb Forshey.
“Word spread like wildfire before Jeffery even knew,” said Clinton County Foster Parents Coordinator Jackie Hoy.
Richards was required to write 500 words for the contest, which was sponsored by Three Rivers Adoption Agency and Pennsylvania State Resource Family Association. He ended up writing more than 1,400. It was the first time he had written on the topic.
“It was just what came out of my head,” he said.
It was also the first time he had ever entered the contest.
He admitted, though, to being nervous about it — at least a little bit.
“I had to make it sound right, so I had to move words around a little,” Richards said. He has written for the Student Express, CMHS’ monthly student newspaper, for two years and prides himself on perfecting his writing as much as possible.
“It was hard to get my emotions to appeal to them (the judges), to get them to sympathize with me,” he added.
Not only did he accomplish that, but he also impressed his foster mother and Hoy.
“Jeffery’s ability to talk about the positive influence the Forshey family is having on him is a wonderful thing,” Hoy said.
“I knew he could write. But I was shocked at the content (of the essay) and I just cried. I didn’t know he felt like that,” said Barb Forshey.
Richards’ focus for the essay was how the Forsheys were as much his family as the people to whom he is biologically related.
“A family is not built from conception or blood, but a relationship that is grown and built with love, trust and friendship,” the teen wrote.
He also wrote, “I never though that one day I would find a family who truly loved and cared about me like they do. At age 17, I am still a foster child, and I have been blessed with the most important gift in life, a family.
“I have grown so much as part of this family that I cannot even fathom ever leaving them behind.
“One day, I hope I will be able to give back to them everything that they have given me,” he wrote.
He shared personal testimony and intimate feelings in the essay, a feat Hoy regarded quite highly.
“I found his honesty really moving and significant for all of us, especially him,” she said.
The teen traveled to Harrisburg Sunday night to share his essay with state legislators in Harrisburg at a Legislative Breakfast Monday morning. He wasn’t worried, though.
“I’ve done it before. It’s no biggie. They’re just politicians,” he said.
Richards seemed more nervous about reading the essay at the annual Clinton County Children and Youth banquet for foster parents last night.
He said it would be harder to read the essay at the banquet because he has “personal relationships with the whole crowd.”
In addition to the recognition, Richards also received a small cash prize. He was excited to spend the money, but even more excited to have expressed his feelings about such a difficult issue.
“This has been an experience I’ll never regret,” Richards said.
