Liz Fogarty ’98 wants to be part of the solution to problems in the foster care system. That sounds simple enough, but Liz’s contributions toward change are particularly stirring because her approach touches lives in three distinct ways – she advocates for foster children in the court system, she travels the country instructing teachers on how to best reach and challenge gifted learners and she is a proud foster parent herself.
Liz’s journey began at Saint Ben’s with dual degrees in elementary education and psychology. “So much of what I learned about education I learned at Saint Ben’s,” says Liz. “When it comes to learning how to be a teacher, there is probably no better place to learn than at CSB.”
After graduation, Liz taught 5th grade while completing her master’s program and then went to the University of Connecticut for her Ph.D. in educational psychology. Shortly after, Liz and her husband moved to North Carolina where she became a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), also called Guardian ad Litem. In this volunteer position, she conducts interviews, writes reports and meets with the foster children she’s representing to advocate for them in the court system.
“I loved this volunteer position and still do it to this day,” says Liz. “But as I worked with kids in foster care, I began to see how much need there was for foster parents. At the time, my husband and I did not have any children and decided to become licensed therapeutic foster parents. Our first foster child came to live with us just two months before our son, Holden, was born.”
Liz is now an associate professor at East Carolina University, teaching undergraduate and graduate level education students and working in the Honors College. She is also a public speaker and travels to schools across the U.S. to help teachers be better educators to gifted children. “A common experience for new teachers is a feeling of uncertainty when working with gifted kids,” explains Liz. “Almost no one does really well in this area because there is little emphasis on it in pre-service education programs. That’s why I felt compelled to learn more about these kids, what makes them tick and how to best teach them.”
Liz’s work has benefited countless lives and she encourages others to consider advocating for foster kids or becoming foster parents. “Whether it’s my biological children or foster children, being a mom is the toughest and most important job I’ve had,” says Liz. “People often think, ‘The foster system is not my issue. They’re not my kids. I take care of my own kids.’ But it is everybody’s issue. It’s the idea that we’re all in this together. I think that’s one of the greatest lessons I learned at Saint Ben’s – great things can be accomplished when you work as a community. Plus as alums, no matter where we go there’s a sister who’s got your back (sometimes literally a Sister). We are in this together.”