SHE has spent the last 15 years of her life in foster care, but that has been no deterrent to Sasha Lee Blackwood, who is intent on securing for herself higher education.

The 20-year-old is now only months away from completing an associate degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education in Portland.

“I would love to work in tourism. I got my major in food and beverage,” said the enthusiastic young woman of her plans after leaving college. “I love food with a deep passion. So I would love to be in the kitchen (of some hotel perhaps) supervising or something else.”

A graduate of Titchfield High School in Portland, where she has resided most of her life, the youth also holds six CXC subjects, including accounts, office administration, principles of business, typing, integrated science, and English language.

Her foster mother Monica Brown is proud of her accomplishments to date.

“She is ok. She have manners. Sometimes she is lazy,” she told Career & Education laughing. “But I know she can do her work. I am proud of her. Mi have her from she was six. She is my daughter.”

But Blackwood hasn’t always had cause to feel hopeful about the future or to feel confident that she had people in her corner.

She was put in foster care after her mother Marcia Edwards stripped her naked and beat her badly at the tender age of five, leaving her to nurse emotional scars. Still, “daughters and mothers are never truly apart; they are bound in the beating of each other’s hearts”, according to British author Charlotte Gray. This has been the reality for Blackwood and her mother, who have managed to mend their relationship in the years since then.

“I got pregnant with my daughter from mi was 13, then I had her when I was 14. But I was never raised by a mother and I never had a family background,” Edwards told Career & Education.

“I don’t know what happened but one day mi just get carried away… Mi couldn’t control miself. Sasha (was to) guh school one morning and she a misbehave, then everything jus’ come in one and mi jus’ strip her naked, beat her and then jus’ tie her up,” a tearful Edwards added.

She noted that she had tied up the child to prevent her from running away, as she usually did when beaten.

Blackwood recalled “hopping out” of the house and into the street while she was still bound and naked, in an attempt to run away.

“There was a (secret) place that I always go to whenever me and mommy had an altercation and I know that she wanted to beat me. I would run away and when I thought she cooled off, I would come back,” the youth said. “On that day, I don’t know how I got up after she tied me up, but I did and I hopped away. One of the neighbours saw me and I remember her putting me in her son’s shirt and then later the police (came). I was in the hospital for a while until they sent me to the foster place.”

Her mother was sentenced to several months behind bars for her action and continues to feel regret.

As for Blackwood, she is surprisingly upbeat and has a positive outlook on life — traits that have helped her to forgive her mother.

“Me and mommy now are like two sisters. I always understood the circumstances and I got over it — not for her entirely, but for me to move on and not be a bitter woman. So I grew up and I just let it go,” Blackwood told Career & Education. “Anybody can make a mistake, but you only make one — once when you learn from it. And mommy has proven herself that she has actually learned from the mistake and for that I am proud of her and I am grateful.”

The 20-year-old now encourages youths in foster care or who have otherwise faced challenges no youngster should have to, to press on and stay positive.

“I would like them to get over it (whatever the challenge) and not blame themselves. I remember blaming myself and thinking that if I wasn’t a bad kid my mom would not have treated me like that. I later realised that whether I was a good or bad kid, she probably would have treated me the same. So you have to have the drive to get something out of life and tell yourself that you will not be the same as your mom or dad,” she advised.

Further, she said youths should choose good company.

“Most of my decisions were based on my company. So you have to choose people who can help you and not people who draw you down. I don’t know if it was because I was looking for a mother or father or what, but I always choose company that was older than me. They had very encouraging words and they always pushed me along,” she said.

“I try to keep it positive. Positive thinking (is very important); and don’t degrade yourself. Always think kindly of yourself. Remind yourself that you are beautiful and that you are great every now and again; there is nothing wrong with that. I always remind myself, too, that everything happens for a reason and God is not going to give you more than you can handle,” Blackwood added.