Lashuntae Dill-Assing left high school on a wing and a prayer.

Her dream was to further her education but she had been in foster care since she was six and had no idea how she could afford it.

Cornerstone Foundation and HSBC Bank Bermuda provided the 18-year-old with the head start she needed.

Their grants allowed her to pursue an associate’s degree in science at the Bermuda College. The studies put her one step closer to her dream of becoming a nurse.

A $12,000 scholarship from the Foster Parent Association came as a huge relief.

She’s deferred acceptance until she’s ready to complete her bachelor’s degree overseas. In the meantime, she’s hoping to find a way to come up with the balance.

“My biggest motivation is wanting a better life for myself,” the teenager said. “I want to go to college and get a scholarship. I want to graduate and come back to work at the hospital and eventually own my own home and help my family out as well.”

She said it was very hard growing up without her parents and being separated from two of her three siblings.

“I always felt like ‘Why me?’,” she said. “A lot of times, being a foster child, you feel you have nowhere to turn to financially.

“Even though you have your foster parents there, they aren’t your real parents even though they love you, so it’s tough.

“At first it didn’t feel like I belonged, but over time my relationship with my foster mom became stronger.”

Miss Dill-Assing, who also had a stint at children’s home The Sunshine League, said it took lots of time and prayer to cope with all that was thrown her way.

She also found support through her church family at Allen Temple AME.

“My faith helped me a lot throughout all this,” she told The Royal Gazette.

“When I felt like I didn’t have anywhere to turn I would pray at church and get my spirits back up. Before my graduation from CedarBridge I didn’t know if any money was going to come through to help me pay for my schooling. I prayed about it and, leading up to graduation, one of the big ones that I was nominated for fell through. I think it was because of my interview; it didn’t go too well.

“I was scared, but I kept praying and a few things came through in the end.

“I was given $3,000 from the Cornerstone Foundation; $12,000 from the Foster Parent Association and $1,000 from HSBC.”

Miss Dill-Assing said she always focused on her studies and had been on the honour role since primary school.

“There were times along the way when I wanted to give up, but I would think about my life and if me giving up on this small assignment would affect my grade and the way I go in life,” she said.

“I struggled with math in high school really badly, but by the end of the four years at CedarBridge I was at the top of my class with math.

“I just dug deep and pulled through it. I went to extra tutorials and gave myself homework to do that I didn’t even have to. I would look at my textbook and do homework and do problems that I didn’t need to do to get ahead and be able to understand the concepts.”

Miss Dill-Assing said she’s thankful for those hardships because they made her who she is today. “I am determined and willing to push through any challenge,” she added.

“I didn’t let anything bring me down and I can see that going through the foster care system has helped me to want more for my life and work harder.”

Two years ago the FPA set up the Glenda Edwards Continuing Education Scholarship for children who were ageing out of the foster care system.

Monies raised from its third annual golf tournament on June 5, 6 and 7 will go towards it.

The charity’s vice president, Lindsay Durham, said a lot of foster children didn’t have anywhere to turn after their 18th birthday.

“The truth is foster parents only get a small stipend that goes toward the child’s food, clothes and their general needs. People don’t become a foster parent for anything but the love of a child.

“And once that child ages out of the system people are not obliged to keep them.

“Most foster parents build up a good relationship with them and decide to do so, but after they reach 18, everything is up to their foster parent to finance.

“Most foster children don’t have strong families who they could go and get money and go to college. But just because you’re a foster child that doesn’t mean you should have to miss out on opportunities that other children get to experience.” Although the FPA is a small charity, Ms Durham said they couldn’t pass up the chance to help Miss Dill-Assing after hearing her story. The organisation is hoping golf lovers will support their efforts next month by taking part in the tournament. Participants have a shot at winning prizes including a Kia car from lead sponsors Bermuda Motors.

• For more information or to register, e-mail: fpabda@hotmail.com or call 505-7764.