She went from foster care to a PhD in nursing

COMPTON, Calif. - Sharrica Miller grew up in foster care, and is now a board-certified nurse practitioner and college professor, complete with a PhD. She's telling her story of resilience in a new documentary called "Still Waters Never Crash, from foster care to PhD."

Miller graduated from Centennial High School in Compton after bouncing around to different foster care locations. She said her family story is one of drugs, incarceration, and instability.

She said it took a village — teachers, social workers, and family — to get her through her childhood. She described being in foster care in the documentary as "lonely, that's what I would say the most, it was lonely as hell."

She managed to get into Howard University, an HBCU. From there she got her master’s degree from Cal State LA, and then her PhD from UCLA.

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In the documentary she returns to visit a foster mom in the Inland Empire. Along with her are her own daughter and mother. Her mother, she said, turned her life around, is sober, owns a business, is an author, and public speaker helping other families whose children are in foster care.

She is screening the documentary on May 12 at Cal State Fullerton with money raised going to a foundation she started and a scholarship for foster youth. Those looking to follow Miller's work can click here.

May is Foster Care Awareness Month and Nurse Appreciation Month.