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Ashley Rhodes-Courter was born in North Carolina in 1985 and entered foster care in 1989. Over the next nine years, she lived in 14 placements before being adopted at age 12 by Phil and Gay Courter of Crystal River, Florida. Ashley just graduated with honors from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. She completed a double major in communications and drama with a double minor in political science and psychology. At college, she spent a month in 2006 in South Africa working with a children’s literacy project. In the community, she has a job in marketing, and works with Heart Galleries. Ashley was the 2004 Youth Advocate of the Year for the North American Council on Adoptable Children and won the Child Welfare League of America “Kids to Kids” National Service Grand Prize. On June 1, 2003, the New York Times Magazine published her grand prize winning essay, “Three Little Words” about her adoption day. She expanded her essay into a memoir (also called “Three Little Words”) which has just been published by Simon & Schuster. She also was one of the four GOLDEN BR!CK Award winners for outstanding advocacy by Do Something, and was named one of GLAMOUR Magazine’s Top Ten College Women. Ashley has been featured on Montel Williams, Good Morning America, $.99 Cool Ranch Doritos bags, and other national and local television shows. She is currently maintaining a full calendar of speeches and workshops all across the country. She has a passion to tell her story and share hope with other foster children and encourage adoption and permanency.
