Lucy was born in Guatemala in 2001 and adopted by her parents and brother at ten months old. She lives in St. Louis, MO, with her mother and father. Currently, she is a senior at the University of Dayton majoring in Sports Management.
While at Dayton, she works in the athletic department as a student assistant. In the past, Lucy has worked with three professional women’s soccer teams. She likes working with athletes and support staff to create a fun game day for all to enjoy. Lucy’s favorite part about working in women’s soccer is she feels like she is a part of something bigger than herself.
In the fall, she was part of a Sales and Fundraising class at UD. She was given the opportunity to participate in the Health & Sport Science’s annual Philanthropy Tournament. This tournament allows students to advocate for a charity close to their hearts. Each student competes against another by giving 5-minute presentations on their charity. This year, the five finalists were granted a donation in their name to their charity. Lucy was the 2022 Philanthropy Tournament winner. She advocated for C.A.S.E. and the importance of mental health support for the adoptive and foster care community. Lucy was awarded a $2,500 donation to C.A.S.E.
Lucy’s presentations were about her life and how she battled mental health issues relating to being adopted. For the first time, Lucy shared her story with others. For as long as she can remember, she has always had behaviors of anxiety. It wasn’t until high school that it became almost uncontrollable. This anxiety led to her hating the best part of her story, being adopted. After hiding her anxiety and panic attacks for so long, Lucy is letting her light shine.
She wants people who have been adopted to hear her story and to know that they are not alone. No person should question themselves because they look different from the rest of their family. She wants parents of adoptees to know that it’s okay for them to not have all the answers. Parenting doesn’t come with a guidebook. Lucy believes that every human being has a light within them and that their light deserves to shine bright.
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