By Cindy Adams

Kayla was known as a runner, not in the athletic sense, but one who runs as a means of escape. At age 14, Kayla was placed in a foster home. She ran away. At a friend’s persuasion she turned herself in, but that led to time in detention until they could find a new placement. That’s when Shirley Smith, a foster parent with enCircle, received a call and opened her home to a frightened teenager, now wearing an ankle monitor. 

"Keep a close eye on her, she’s going to run" was the recurring phrase from Kayla’s social workers. Shirley understood her history and knew Kayla wasn’t interested in finishing high school. It was a fair warning, but Shirley saw something more. 

Kayla was set to enroll in Nandua High School on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, but she wasn’t interested. She was satisfied getting her GED. Still, Shirley countered, showing Kayla how many credits she had already earned and how close she was to graduating. It took some convincing, but Kayla agreed to give high school another try.  

The first year was admittedly "shaky," according to Shirley, as they worried that she may run again. Instead, Kayla began to make friends, attend church, and even took on a paid internship as a teaching assistant at Nandua Middle School.  

"It was a complete turnaround," Shirley said. "She was social, getting good grades, and was more active. She was not the same Kayla." 

Her transformation continued as she started a new job, opened her own savings account, and graduated from high school.  

"I was so proud of her," Shirley said. "You could tell she was happy holding her diploma and felt good that she graduated. I just cried, knowing how far she had come." 

Kayla explained that all she wanted was a normal teenage life where she could learn and grow, and Shirley understood that. Shirley gave her the space to get involved in the community, be with her friends, ride horses again.  

"I’ve learned from my mistakes," Kayla said. "I understand now that I don’t have to run away from my problems. I can talk through them and continue to grow as a person."

Kayla is now hoping to get into a certified nursing assistant program at a local community college. Knowing there is a wait list, her back-up plan is to get her driver’s license and save money for a car so she can commute to Tidewater Community College in Virginia Beach. Then, she wants to transfer to Old Dominion University and pursue a career in nursing, particularly geriatrics. Since she was a little girl, she has wanted to help older people. 

For a girl who didn’t think school was for her, Kayla stayed the course. From the real challenges of growing up, she did not run.