Regina Calcaterra, went from homeless teen to New York power attorney! Growing up parentless, homeless and in poverty on Long Island, Regina has beaten all adversity with a heart filled with determination.

Today she is one of a small group of individuals who has aged out of foster care and made it through a four-year college (less than two percent of this population earns a Bachelor’s degree). To add to her list of achievements, Regina has also graduated from Law School making her a true champion against ALL odds.

Spending much of her youth in and out homeless shelters with her four siblings, at the age of 14 Regina successfully sought to be emancipated from her parents because of their inability to provide for the family. Regina graduated from the State University of New York at New Paltz and then Seton Hall University School of Law.

Shortly following law school Regina became a pioneer in paternity law who successfully convinced Washington State court to allow adult children to identify who their father is through DNA testing. The first of its kind in the United States, Regina’s case resulted in a new section in the practice of family law. Taking those same skills to Albany, she worked on passing several state laws protecting workers in the labor movement. Further, she is an active board member of “You Gotta Believe,” an award-winning organization that works to get older foster children adopted into permanent homes.

From being homeless to fighting and winning lawsuits, Regina’s journey is encouraging and fitting for WOMEN WITH STRIPES!