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Meet Sa'Nyah: The Fierce Foster Youth Taking Charge of Her Future
Episode 414th January 2026 • Turning Hustle Into Legacy with Dr. Stance • BWIT Podcast Studio
00:00:00 00:11:49

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Get ready to be inspired by Sa'Nyah’s incredible journey as she shares her story of resilience and transformation. At just 19, she’s already turned her hustle into a legacy, proving that the tough times don’t define us but shape us instead. From navigating the foster care system to overcoming a challenging upbringing, Sa'Nyah opens up about her experiences and the support she found along the way. We dive deep into the importance of community, mentorship, and having a safe space to grow, which has helped her flourish in ways she never imagined. So grab a snack, settle in, and let’s explore how Sa'Nyah is not just surviving but thriving, setting the stage for her bright future ahead!

Transcripts

Speaker A:

Foreign.

Speaker A:

Welcome.

Speaker A:

Where we turning hustles into legacies.

Speaker A:

I got my beautiful current foster youth in be with luxurious fostering program.

Speaker A:

Introduce yourself, pretty lady.

Speaker B:

Hi, guys.

Speaker B:

My name is Saniya.

Speaker B:

Nice to meet you guys.

Speaker A:

The troublemaker, period.

Speaker A:

Let's get straight to it.

Speaker A:

I'm totally joking.

Speaker A:

This is my pudding.

Speaker A:

I brought her specifically on this show because One thing about Ms. Saniyah, she was about her bread.

Speaker A:

When I took her in, she had a job going to.

Speaker A:

First of all, she came straight from probation.

Speaker A:

Let's be clear.

Speaker A:

This is my probation.

Speaker A:

You came straight from probation, but the social worker was like.

Speaker A:

Or the probation officer was like, look, this one right here is a good one.

Speaker A:

I said, all right, let me holl at her.

Speaker A:

She came through very respectable.

Speaker A:

Never had no problems with.

Speaker A:

I think you've been in the program, what, about a year?

Speaker B:

Almost two years now.

Speaker A:

Shut up.

Speaker B:

I just turned 19.

Speaker B:

I moved in at 17.

Speaker A:

I took her.

Speaker A:

Factual.

Speaker A:

I took you in at 17.

Speaker A:

As you guys know, I only do 18 to 21, but I get exemptions for certain kids if I feel like they're going to be successful and good.

Speaker A:

I'll request from the state for them to send her.

Speaker A:

And when I met her one, as you can see, she's absolutely beautiful, naturally, just a gorgeous young lady.

Speaker A:

But she also has this aura.

Speaker A:

And for me, it immediately drew me.

Speaker A:

And I said, yep, get her.

Speaker A:

We got to help her.

Speaker A:

When you first came, what was your apartment looking like, though?

Speaker B:

My apartment was so nice.

Speaker B:

I was like, oh, my God, it's fully decorated.

Speaker B:

I still got like most of my stuff from my apartment.

Speaker B:

Cause, you know, you moved me to a nicer one.

Speaker B:

I didn't, but like, I was just like, oh my gosh.

Speaker B:

Like, I feel so welcomed.

Speaker B:

And I felt like, you know, comfortable.

Speaker B:

I felt at home.

Speaker B:

It reminded me like my mom house.

Speaker B:

Cause my mom is like that.

Speaker A:

She likes to have her stuff decorated and nice.

Speaker A:

And so when I got her, my goal with her was to keep you on track, not to be bugging you all the time.

Speaker A:

And we give them space.

Speaker A:

We don't be doing unannounced visits all in your business.

Speaker A:

But I wanted to bring.

Speaker A:

Bring her on specifically because a lot of people don't realize a lot how these kids got in the foster care system.

Speaker A:

So I thought you being on the show and just telling your story can help other kids, right?

Speaker A:

Or can help other youth.

Speaker A:

We do bewig crash out every Monday and she laughing because she know what I'm gonna say.

Speaker A:

She was there this Monday.

Speaker A:

And honestly, you was a Role model, though.

Speaker A:

If you noticed the kids was listening to.

Speaker A:

Did you notice that they're listening and.

Speaker B:

They start, like, interacting more?

Speaker B:

Because I start interacting and talking to them.

Speaker A:

And so that's why I do it.

Speaker A:

It's called Be With Crash Out.

Speaker A:

And I did that so y' all can have a safe space to talk.

Speaker B:

To talk, and to be able to crash out.

Speaker A:

And crash out, right?

Speaker A:

And no judgment zone.

Speaker A:

I'm there to support.

Speaker A:

And I think me showing up make y' all kind of want to be there more, right?

Speaker A:

Because if I ain't there, okay, Dr. Stan saying I don't want to be there.

Speaker A:

They want to see the CEO, so the CEOs be available.

Speaker A:

Okay?

Speaker A:

So I do that one.

Speaker A:

Mental health services.

Speaker A:

I'mma ask you if you had somebody like that's a psychologist, but haven't had those lived experiences, do you feel comfortable talking to them?

Speaker B:

Not necessarily.

Speaker A:

And why?

Speaker A:

Because they just can't relate.

Speaker B:

They can't relate.

Speaker B:

They don't understand.

Speaker B:

Like, it's been times where I didn't try to talk to people who've never been in my shoes.

Speaker B:

They've never been through what I've been through.

Speaker B:

So they don't understand.

Speaker B:

And it's.

Speaker B:

No matter how much you try to break it down and explain it to them, they.

Speaker B:

They can't get it.

Speaker B:

Like somebody who has been through the same things as you.

Speaker A:

Exactly.

Speaker A:

And that's why I created Be With Crash Out.

Speaker A:

Because me, you know, I live the experience.

Speaker A:

Duh.

Speaker A:

Holder, CEO, been in the streets, from the street to East Oakland.

Speaker A:

So I can more or less relate to y'.

Speaker A:

All been in and out of jail, all that.

Speaker A:

And let's.

Speaker A:

Let's get to that.

Speaker A:

Cause, you know, this my thug.

Speaker A:

This my.

Speaker A:

My.

Speaker A:

My pretty thug.

Speaker A:

Okay, let's be clear.

Speaker A:

This is my pretty gangster.

Speaker A:

So let's talk about it.

Speaker A:

How did you end up in foster care?

Speaker B:

So when I was younger, when me and my mom, we start.

Speaker B:

So when I was younger, my grandfather took me away from my mom, and then I was.

Speaker B:

I wasn't a teenager yet.

Speaker B:

I didn't go through puberty.

Speaker B:

And then.

Speaker A:

How old was you?

Speaker B:

I was about 11, 10 years old.

Speaker B:

And then I moved back with my mom when I was 14.

Speaker B:

So at this point, I'm a teenager.

Speaker B:

I'm talking to boys.

Speaker B:

I'm doing, like, different things.

Speaker B:

Like, you know, and it was like me and her just kept.

Speaker B:

We kept fighting.

Speaker B:

Fifteen came, I started running away.

Speaker B:

I started boosting.

Speaker B:

I started robbing people.

Speaker B:

And then it caught up to me.

Speaker B:

I was bipping I was bipping cars.

Speaker A:

And I was one of them damn fuckers that was probably busted my window.

Speaker A:

He was probably you.

Speaker B:

But it caught up to me, and I ended up going to jail the first time I went to jail.

Speaker B:

And that's why you said, my probation officer and everybody, they've been working with me since I was that age.

Speaker B:

They seen how I, like, I didn't want to be there.

Speaker B:

I knew I had to get some money, but I'm like, okay, I know I got to do this, I got to do that, but I can't get caught.

Speaker B:

So I just start boosting more and I started stealing.

Speaker B:

I was boosting and I was getting so much money, and that's all I really cared about.

Speaker B:

Honestly.

Speaker B:

I didn't care about no boys.

Speaker B:

Like, I was never one of them girls who was old.

Speaker B:

Yeah, I was all up under a nigga and a.

Speaker B:

Had me took away somewhere.

Speaker B:

No, I was getting money.

Speaker A:

Like, that's why she on the show.

Speaker A:

That's why I love my money.

Speaker A:

Go get it.

Speaker B:

I ain't going lie.

Speaker B:

I touch more money than I know a lot of people that's, like, right now, that's older than me, but I used to be robbing people, like armed robberies.

Speaker B:

And I had a lot of grand theft auto charges from stealing cars, so.

Speaker A:

Can imagine that one.

Speaker B:

Cause that's how I was getting to go, to do whatever I needed to go do.

Speaker B:

So, you know, I didn't have no license.

Speaker B:

I was 15.

Speaker B:

And I went to jail one more time.

Speaker B:

And when I got out, I told myself, sinai, I'm not going back to jail.

Speaker B:

You're not going back to jail.

Speaker B:

Whatever you do, you ain't going back.

Speaker B:

Me and my mom, we kept fighting.

Speaker B:

I turned 16 and I moved in with my ex boyfriend.

Speaker B:

And me and him were in a very abusive, toxic relationship.

Speaker B:

I was getting abused, I was getting beat.

Speaker B:

I was isolated from my family, my friends, everybody.

Speaker B:

Everything I knew was just him.

Speaker B:

And I remember always telling myself, like, you gotta do this.

Speaker B:

You gotta keep going.

Speaker B:

You gotta keep going.

Speaker B:

I remember it'd be times I didn't want to do nothing.

Speaker B:

I didn't want to even, like, live no more.

Speaker B:

And it's like he, like, he was.

Speaker B:

He was on some.

Speaker B:

Like, he didn't want to get up and go do nothing.

Speaker B:

He was a very insecure person at the time.

Speaker B:

So he was like, you know, he wanted to keep me down, sitting down.

Speaker B:

So I remember when I broke up with him, I was with him.

Speaker A:

Like, have you talked to him?

Speaker B:

No, we talk every once in A while.

Speaker B:

Like, you know, a checkup, but we don't talk.

Speaker B:

And I just remember when I broke up with him, I didn't have nowhere to go.

Speaker B:

And I was talking to my probation officer, and she kept telling me, like, oh, I had to go to a group home.

Speaker B:

I said, I'm not going to a group home.

Speaker A:

That's definitely different.

Speaker B:

I said, y' all won't see me.

Speaker B:

I said, y' all won't see me.

Speaker B:

I'm not coming.

Speaker B:

So it was to a point where they was like, well, you gotta find you a thp.

Speaker B:

And I called my friend, this boy, his name Tix, shout out to you.

Speaker B:

He sent me.

Speaker B:

He was like, this my tt.

Speaker B:

He was like, here, call her.

Speaker A:

Oh, yeah, I remember him.

Speaker A:

Okay, okay.

Speaker B:

And he was like, yeah.

Speaker B:

He was like, call her and see if she could help you.

Speaker B:

And then I called you, and he was like, you said what?

Speaker B:

He was like, okay.

Speaker B:

He was like, you okay?

Speaker B:

You got somewhere to go for the night?

Speaker B:

I'm like, yes, I got somewhere to go, but I need somewhere to stay.

Speaker B:

Shit.

Speaker B:

Like, you're how old?

Speaker B:

I'm like, I graduated out of high school.

Speaker B:

I get off probation soon.

Speaker A:

Yep, that's what got me.

Speaker B:

I graduated at 16 years old.

Speaker A:

That's what got me right there.

Speaker B:

I graduated at 16.

Speaker B:

I stayed with a job.

Speaker B:

I was in esthetician school at the time.

Speaker B:

Like, you know, I'm in aesthetics.

Speaker B:

I do facials, waxing, eyelashes, eyebrows, dermaplaning, massages, those type of things.

Speaker B:

So I was in school for that around that time.

Speaker B:

But I was really struggling because I didn't really have nowhere to stay.

Speaker B:

And I just remember Miss Audrey, my titi, she was like, yeah, come on, girl.

Speaker A:

I got you.

Speaker B:

I got your apartment.

Speaker B:

And then she was like, come on, come get your keys.

Speaker B:

I came, I got my keys, and I was just like.

Speaker B:

And the reason why I didn't be able to stay with my mom was because when I was in juvenile, she didn't come to my court.

Speaker B:

She didn't come get me from jail.

Speaker B:

Like, it was stuff like that.

Speaker B:

I didn't have nobody to come get me, so I'd be in jail longer.

Speaker B:

Cause nobody trying to come pick me up from my court after, like, you know, I'm getting released and stuff.

Speaker B:

You know, when you're a minor, you.

Speaker A:

Can'T release us at.

Speaker B:

Yeah.

Speaker B:

And then when I got into my abusive relationship, my.

Speaker B:

My probation officers and them were kind of involved into it at the end, so they knew what I was going through.

Speaker B:

And, yeah, it was just A lot like that.

Speaker B:

So I ended up qualifying to be able to go into, like, into a THP and to be into foster youth.

Speaker B:

And I just really thank you so much, Titi.

Speaker B:

Like, you really, like, saved me.

Speaker B:

I don't know where I would be right now.

Speaker B:

I probably would still be up under that boy right now.

Speaker A:

Oh, thank God you're not.

Speaker B:

And probably pregnant, stuck somewhere with a baby.

Speaker A:

And we ain't doing none of that, like, none of that.

Speaker A:

Please, not right now, Elise.

Speaker B:

And since I get your degree first and since I.

Speaker B:

My tt, I've been working.

Speaker B:

She stay on my line about working, but, like, you know, she don't bother me too much.

Speaker B:

She's not all in my business, but I talk to her.

Speaker B:

I'm very open with them because they're very.

Speaker B:

They make me comfortable and they make me more comfortable and want to talk like, you know, and, you know, everything that's been going on.

Speaker B:

My boyfriend recently passed away.

Speaker B:

And ever since then, everybody, the whole staff, the whole team has been there for me.

Speaker B:

You guys all been following me and be very supportive.

Speaker B:

And on the crash out meetings, all my peers are very supportive on the phone, like, you know, and I just really appreciate that stuff so much.

Speaker A:

So cute kids.

Speaker A:

I love you.

Speaker A:

And honestly, I appreciate kids like you that come in.

Speaker A:

Honestly, that's what made me gravitate to you.

Speaker A:

Once you said, oh, I got.

Speaker A:

I graduated already TT at 16.

Speaker A:

I said, yeah, get her.

Speaker A:

Cause I try to focus on the kids that's already on their way up.

Speaker A:

The ones that's like, I don't have time for them.

Speaker A:

We gotta get the.

Speaker A:

They not ready.

Speaker B:

They're not ready.

Speaker A:

You was ready, you was ready to change.

Speaker A:

You was ready to get your together, you was ready to get your own spot.

Speaker A:

And honestly, since the whole time she'd been in program, I never had no problems, man, besides you beating up that one girl with that.

Speaker B:

We had a small.

Speaker B:

It was very small.

Speaker B:

I wasn't necessarily in the wrong and I actually was the bigger person and.

Speaker A:

Did she did the right thing.

Speaker A:

And I thought it was so cute that she did that.

Speaker A:

So for me, I am just so glad you in the program.

Speaker A:

I know you got two more years with me, so I'm hoping to see yo you cross that road.

Speaker A:

You do what you do.

Speaker A:

But of course, I got something special for you.

Speaker A:

I wanted to give it to you, my producer in the back end.

Speaker A:

Can we hand her her gift before we go?

Speaker A:

Cause I feel like you deserve it.

Speaker A:

You've been an amazing youth and I'm hoping you could tell stories in the past.

Speaker A:

So of course we gave her a Versace roll, period.

Speaker A:

My kids deserve luxury.

Speaker A:

Everybody that come fuck with me deserve luxury because that's what we do.

Speaker A:

Period.

Speaker A:

Okay, so there's my Pudding, we love you.

Speaker A:

And I hope even when you graduate, when you tune in, you come back and speak to the youth.

Speaker B:

And I want to be able to work with you.

Speaker A:

And you can for sure.

Speaker B:

I want to come in and work with you.

Speaker B:

You can when I'm older and stuff too, because I really appreciate you so much.

Speaker B:

Really love you so much.

Speaker A:

TT I love you too.

Speaker B:

You know, like, you really made a really big difference in my life.

Speaker B:

And you made me feel like I. I could get up and do it again.

Speaker B:

Cuz I always been able to get up and do it.

Speaker B:

But, you know, you need support.

Speaker B:

You need support that I needed.

Speaker B:

Not no police ass support.

Speaker B:

Not.

Speaker A:

Yeah, we ain't policing.

Speaker A:

We from the town.

Speaker A:

We.

Speaker A:

We try not to.

Speaker B:

She was just always there for me.

Speaker B:

Just always.

Speaker A:

I'm like, look, we got to do this, okay?

Speaker A:

Because I don't need.

Speaker A:

We got to do this, all right?

Speaker A:

And she like, I got you, Titi.

Speaker A:

So I love you.

Speaker B:

I thank you.

Speaker B:

I love you, too.

Speaker A:

This kid right here is going to turn her hustle into a legacy.

Speaker A:

So y' all tap in with my boo Sanaya, man.

Speaker A:

Make sure y' all show her some love and me welcome.

Speaker A:

And I love you, pudding.

Speaker B:

I love you more.

Speaker A:

Choppy.

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