CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- One local woman is trying to show kids that you can be anything you want to be, regardless of where you came from.

Elizabeth Harris just graduated from the University of Virginia Law School with the class of 2022, but she grew up in the foster care system.

Now, she'll be working as a lawyer to help kids in similar situations.

Harris hopes to serve as a public defender for juveniles after passing the bar exam.

She feels her background has shaped her for this work.

"Representing kids, a big part of it is being able to have some kind of understanding of what they're going through, what they're thinking, and what they're feeling. It all just kind of evolved to make me realize that I can do this kind of work and having the proximity and closeness to it can be more helpful than not,” said Harris.

She says she hopes to reform the system from the inside out, making sure no kids fall through the cracks.