I went through the juvenile justice system. Now, I'm fighting to change it

There are countless examples of community programs that successfully help youth get on a better path. I am living proof of what's possible when people believe in you.

Rose Chadwick is a 2020 graduate of Cafe Momentum and a senior momentum ambassador.

In 2019, I entered Café Momentum, a restaurant that provides justice-involved youth with a year-long paid internship and support ecosystem. Today, I'm an aspiring dental assistant, a mentor for other youth trapped in the system, and an advocate for change in the juvenile justice system. My dream is to start a nonprofit beauty school for human trafficking survivors. And with a newfound belief in myself, I have every confidence I will be able to achieve it.

Unfortunately, most justice-involved youth are not given the first chance that Café Momentum gave me. I say "first chance" because that's the reality. Most kids trapped in our justice system never had a fighting chance growing up. Many of them lacked support systems, which led them down the road to incarceration. And contact with the justice system only makes it more difficult for them to forge a new path.