Washington DC: The cornerstone of the world. The place where so many fights have been won, injustices have been righted, and dreams have come true.

I have dreams. Dreams of one day becoming an official that aids in running this wonderful country that I live in. That’s why when I received notice that I would be a CCAI Foster Youth Intern placed in the office of Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, I related the experience to a kid fulfilling a dream of going to the infamous Disney World for the first time.

I immediately started to correlate politicians to characters thought of in the slumber of children across the world. Many people travel far and beyond to come to Disney world, so the match was made of the individuals I would interact with in the diverse city of Washington.

In addition, I envisioned every rollercoaster as an illustrious building or monument that is placed throughout the metropolitan region. I even went on to correlate places to dine in Disney World, to eateries such as Ben’s Chilli Bowl, where all my friends declared I needed to eat.

Although, I know Washington is going to be an amazing experience, I have in the forefront of my mind the solemn purpose for my journey: to make strides in the direction for improvement to foster care policy. So when I see a “Mickey Mouse” or getting ready to go to “Space Mountain” in Washington I will do my best to relay the issues that are not only close to my heart but the hearts of my other foster care brothers and sisters.

-Victor Horton, 2010 Foster Youth Intern