Ashley Rhodes-Courter profile picture

Ashley Rhodes-Courter

About Me


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www.rhodes-courter.comAfter spending almost ten years in foster care, I now work to make the system better for kids all across the country.I have been featured in Teen People, The New York Times, and on The Today Show. I appeared with Dave Peltzer on Montel, and has been interviewed for a segment on foster care for Primetime. When I was fourteen, I won first place in an essay contest sponsored by Scholastic on “How the Harry Potter Books Changed My Life.” My essay, “Three Little Words,” sponsored by the New York Times, won the grand prize and ran on June 1, 2003 in the magazine and resulted in the writing of my memoir, also called "Three Little Words." Now I have the honor of being a child advocate and I give keynotes to various conferences and groups all across the United States. I've spoken on Capital Hill, and has been invited to the White House twice. In early 2007 I was honored with a prestigious BRICK Award, and was acknowledged as one of the top 20 undergraduates in America by USA Today, and one of GLAMOUR magazine's Top Ten College Women.I hope that my story will help show how much foster kids, or those who have suffered adversity, can achieve. I also hope it will inspire others to become active in their own communities and reinforce the work of those already involved in the system or with at-risk families and youth.Thanks for taking the time to visit!

My Interests

Writing & Motivational Speaking, Political Activism, and Community Service.Education is also essential!

I'd like to meet:

Anyone who has a passion to make change--especially young people who have overcome adversity and are striving to make the world a better place for others.

Movies:

Cathy Konrad, the producer of the Johnny Cash biopic “Walk the Line” had an option to develop Ashley’s story for a theatrical film.

Television:

Please see my website for more clips, links, and info on my previous and upcoming appearances!www.rhodes-courter.com

Books:

• Three Little Words, Simon & Schuster. Memoir of my foster care experience. • Writing in the Works, Edited by Susan Blau and Kathryn Burak, Houghton Mifflin, 2007. Paid reprint of NY Times Essay in section of textbook on memoir writing. • Children’s Voice Magazine, July/August 2004 issue (Vol 13, No. 4). “Community is Giving Back” Child Welfare League winning essay reprint. • Children’s Beat Magazine, Fall 2003 issue (Vol. 10, No. 4). Casey Journalism Center on Children and Families. Reprint of NY Times Essay. • Someone There for Me: Everyday Heroes Through the Eyes of Teens in Foster Care, CWLA Press, May 2004. (Chapter of prize-winning essay for CASA.) • New York Times Magazine, June 1, 2003. “Lives: Three Little Words.” • Teen People: Real Life Diaries edited by Linda Friedman and Dana White, Avon, 2001. “Escape from Foster Care” chapter with photo illustrations. • USA Today, October 9, 2000. “How the Harry Potter Books Changed My Life.”

Heroes:

The more than half a million children in foster care, and the 118,000 children waiting to be adopted. May they find as much love, happiness, and success as I have. I also want to thank the GOOD foster and adoptive parents for opening their hearts and homes to children. And without dedicated CASA's, Guardian ad Litems, and other child welfare workers, so many more of us would fall through the cracks.

My Blog

Three Little Words

Pre-order my memoir today!! It will be in stores January 8th......"Three Little Words" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter.It's been a tough decision to allow the public to read about my childhood, but hopefully...
Posted by Ashley Rhodes-Courter on Wed, 04 Jul 2007 07:37:00 PST