Beyond Foster Care with Army Veteran, Tristian Smith

Welcome back to the show, dear listeners! I am joined in this episode by Tristian Smith, former Army officer, author, and Nebraska CASA volunteer who grew up in the foster care system living in nearly 30 different homes from ages 8 to 18. After experiencing abuse and instability in the system, Tristian went on to graduate college, serve in the military, and now advocates for children in foster care via his volunteer work.

Throughout our conversation, Tristian shares his personal story - how he was placed in foster care after his mother passed away and how he and his brother were abused by their uncle. He describes the lack of consistency and support that he faced, with frequent school and home changes and feeling "invisible" in the system. Tristian highlights the importance of having caring adult mentors, noting that if he had a CASA volunteer early on, he likely would have been removed from his uncle's home much sooner.

Listen as Tristian credits a few key mentors he met as a young adult in college for helping him develop the resilience and drive to achieve his goals, including graduating, joining the military, and eventually writing a book about his experiences. He stresses the need for foster parents to provide more than just the basics but also true care, compassion and communication.

As a CASA volunteer, Tristian is now dedicated to being that consistent, supportive adult whom he wished he had growing up, and he encourages other former foster youth to get involved in advocacy work as it can provide a powerful perspective.

Tristian's story is truly an inspiring example of how mentorship and a sense of purpose can help youth overcome adversity and reach their full potential, despite the challenges of the foster care system. I hope that you enjoy my conversation with Tristian, and, if you do, please be sure to grab a copy of his book, Against All Odds!

Highlights:

[1:20] - Hear how Tristian overcame childhood abuse and became an author and CASA volunteer.

[5:02] - After cycling through 30 foster homes, Tristian finally thrived in therapeutic care and pursued multiple master’s degrees.

[7:19] - Tristian reveals how constant relocation hindered his ability to form long-term connections.

[9:56] - Tristan believes that stricter foster parent standards and stronger empathy could have spared him years of neglect.

[12:31] - Foster parent training overlooks communication, focusing instead on managing trauma rather than genuine connection.

[13:06] - Tristian argues that foster parents need to engage children with love, learning, and compassion rather than screens.

[16:36] - We discover how Tristian lost a loving foster home after a failed adoption and never regained that stability.

[19:18] - Via discipline and leadership, Tristian’s military service changed his trauma into self-reliance.

[22:59] - Never having imagined such success, Tristian now inspires foster youth with lived experience and advocacy.

[25:47] - Tristian credits two mentors he met as a young adult who became true parental figures in his life.

[27:43] - Tristian encourages both foster youth and caregivers to build accountability, empathy, and resilience for success.

Links & Resources:

Tristian’s LinkedIn Page

Tristian Smith - Against All Odds: A Memoir