Reunited foster siblings find home at AcademySTAY

Thomas and Cameron: roommates, brothers, and each other’s biggest cheerleaders. After years apart, they’re building their futures side by side.

Same Story, Different Fonts

When Thomas and Cameron first met, they were teenagers in foster care - two kids trying to find footing in a system built for survival, not connection.

They were placed in the same foster home in 2020 and lived together for nearly three years. It didn’t take long for them to realize something rare: they weren’t just sharing space. They were becoming chosen family.

“We’re the same person in different fonts,” Cameron says.

For Thomas, who’s naturally more reserved, being around Cameron made a difference. “He helps me be more social,” he shared. “Just being around him makes it easier to be myself.”

When the foster placement ended in 2023, the bond didn’t. Despite physical distance, they never lost touch: always calling, texting, staying in each other’s corner. And now, for the first time since aging out of care, they’re not just back in touch. They’re back together.

Now these foster siblings are now roommates - by choice, not circumstance.

Thomas, now 20, is enrolled in a welding program at UTI. Cameron, 21, is pursuing a career in nursing. Both are fiercely determined to build futures that defy the statistics for foster youth.

And they’re doing it side by side.

In a world where nearly 50% of youth aging out of care will experience homelessness within 18 months, AcademySTAY offers more than housing. It offers safety, support, and in this case, a chance to turn brotherhood into a shared foundation.

Thomas and Cameron’s story isn’t just a feel-good reunion. It’s a reminder: when young people are given stability and choice, they create lives that reflect who they are, not what they’ve been through.

They’re not just staying. They’re becoming.

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