Foster care alumna creates hope at work, home
Maritza Lorenzana is a mother, wife, social worker, volunteer mentor and foster care alumna. She’s also an inspiration and symbol of hope whose impact stretches from her job at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Boise, Idaho, to her role as legal guardian of a nephew and two nieces.
Maritza was honored earlier this year with a Casey Excellence for Children Award as an alumna of foster care.
She entered Casey Family Programs foster care as a ninth-grader in 2005 and emancipated in 2007. She maintains a close relationship with her foster parents, Mark and Suzi Meuser.
Soon after she entered graduate school in 2013, Maritza learned of her nephew’s and nieces’ unstable home situation in Mexico and quickly worked to bring them to Idaho. She wholeheartedly took on the challenge of becoming their legal guardian and helping them navigate a new country — all while excelling in Master of Social Work courses, completing an internship and helping the children maintain a relationship with their birth mother.
Maritza continues to bring hope to others by mentoring youth in foster care, offering support to refugees resettling in Boise and sharing her story with others.