INTERVIEW: Dr. Tony Rivera Shines a Light on Foster Youth in First Novella
*This article originally appeared in our February 2026 print issue*
“When you read about the statistics surrounding foster youth, you always hear about the negatives, right? So what I wanted to do is flip the narrative and focus more on what the foster youth can do.”
Dr. Tony Rivera is a foster youth alum. He navigated the foster care system and defied the odds he felt were stacked against him since entering the system at eight years old. Rivera went from reading and writing at an eighth-grade level at the age of 19, to earning his doctorate in November 2025. In the process, Rivera found that there are very few stories written about foster youth. He knew he had to change that.
While simultaneously writing his dissertation, he wrote his first novella, City Dreams: A Tale of Three Friends. He admits that writing the story offered a creative outlet and a break from all the data of his dissertation, and at the same time, he was also determined to erase stereotypes.
“When you read about the statistics surrounding foster youth, you always hear about the negatives, right? So what I wanted to do is flip the narrative and focus more on what the foster youth can do,” Rivera says.
City Dreams follows the lives of three foster kids, all of whom Rivera sees a part of himself and his personal experiences reflected in, as well as other foster youth he’s met throughout his life. Lila is the writer. Having struggled with writing himself, Rivera wanted to portray her as a strong writer, but someone who struggled to feel a sense of belonging. Jamal is the student athlete. He takes to the hoops, just like Rivera did — something that he said got him into college. Jamal faces a dilemma as he sits down to write a college essay, trying to decide how to share his story in the wake of someone seemingly lost reappearing in his life. And finally, Sofia is the muralist. Growing up in New York City, Rivera was fascinated by the graffiti and murals he passed when riding the subway. All three characters cross paths and work together to use their experiences to uplift others and give a voice to the voiceless.
The story of Lila, Jamal and Sofia is just as educational as it is heartfelt, and Rivera hopes his work can make a difference in a school setting, too.
“Teachers play a powerful role, and this could be a reminder that you may have a foster youth sitting in your classroom, or someone who fits the description of Lila, Sofia or Jamal. You have the power to change their trajectory,” Rivera says.
Regardless, this novella carries the same message for anyone who reads it, whether they’ve been in foster care, know someone who has been in the system, or don’t know anything about it: everyone desires and deserves a sense of belonging.
“It doesn’t matter where you come from. You can be in a very affluent family, and you can still feel isolated. Everybody has that need to feel a part of something,” he explains.
Rivera hopes the story sparks a conversation that empowers readers to feel uplifted by their place in the community and not let their circumstances define their worth or what they can accomplish.
Since the soft launch of City Dreams: A Tale of Three Friends in November, Rivera has received valuable and touching feedback from educators and foster youth alike, with many people saying the story should be shared with anyone who works with youth and seeks to inspire them.
“I want to inspire hope. Living in the world we’re in today, that humanity piece is not there, and I want to bring that back. I want the youth to feel like even though it’s crazy in the world, there’s a way to quiet the chaos and still progress forward,” Rivera shares.
City Dreams: A Tale of Three Friends officially releases today, February 16. Visit fosteringmindsllc.com to purchase the novella and to learn more.
Even before the official release of City Dreams, Rivera has wasted no time getting started on his next book, which will tie his research related to the child welfare system into another story. Stay tuned for more from the local children’s book author.
