We love sharing stories of transformation, and J’s journey is a powerful reminder of what encouragement and belief can achieve. When J first came to us at UMYH, they were placed in our Residential and Day Education programs, and frankly, felt discouraged. They saw no path forward and had no plan to graduate high school.
Turning that attitude around wasn’t easy, but our dedicated staff stepped up to the challenge. A massive shout-out goes to Amber, our Day Education Director, who, alongside our entire team, worked tirelessly with J. Their approach was simple yet profound: consistent encouragement and helping them truly see their potential.
The Day Education program is designed to meet students where they are, providing the individualized support and flexible learning environment necessary to succeed. For J, this meant not just tutoring in subjects, but mentorship that focused on building self-worth and a vision for the future.
The hard work paid off! We are incredibly proud to share that J didn’t just meet expectations— but surpassed them. Not only was there diligent work toward earning high school equivalency, but also experienced a complete mindset shift in the process.
The journey didn’t end with a diploma. When leaving our programs, J had a concrete, bright plan for the future: enrolling in college!
J’s story is proof that when young people are given a stable, supportive environment and a team that believes in them, they can overcome deep discouragement and achieve great things.
We couldn’t be happier for J and look forward to seeing what amazing things are next!