AUSTIN, Texas — For many teenagers, another birthday means a year closer to freedom and adulthood. But for teens in Texas foster care, an upcoming birthday can be met with fear of the possibility that they will age out of the system without a “forever family.”
This is the reality 16-year-old Melba, a sophomore currently in foster care, is facing. Yet she is channeling her passion for the arts – from fused glass to poetry – to sculpt a future she can be proud of, no matter what lies ahead.
The light and warmth inside Helio’s Fused Glass Studio in Austin offers a welcomed escape for Melba. Here, under the guidance of studio owner Kristine Shafer, she is transforming colorful shards of glass into vibrant works of art…