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My biological mother.
She was a drug user, alcoholic. So she went out with some of her friends
and she left me and my brother's house. I was 7 years old.
There's no mom. The living conditions weren't to say that good.
Police come in. They end up taking us to the station. We
have to go to foster care. And then they split us all up.
I've only been one in foster home. Thank God, I wasn't moved around a lot.
I just stayed with Luz and she adopted me when I was about 14, 13
years old. When I hit high school
I walked in the first day. And I'm just like "Whoa. This is a whole lot of people"
and they're just pretty much doing whatever they want.
So I would come home late. I started hanging out with all the wrong people.
For the first marking period, you could tell "this kids messed up", because I passed no class.
I was always in trouble. Everyday. It was like everyday, I wake up, me and Mom arguing.
And then my brother was the hospital, so had all that balled up inside
me. And then I was just you know what "F" the world. If I think it's right
I'm just going for it. So I was just like, alright where you going to go with cutting class?
Where you gonna do with robbing people? Smoking weed? How is that
getting you to prosper in your future? Luz: Yeah I'm telling the truth, he changed a lot
Luz: Because before he was terrible.
But now, he's getting better
But now, he's getting better, that's what I want. For him
to get into school. To study. Do something for his life. Because I'm old.
When I pass away what's he going to do? If he doesn't have me
he's got to have something to do. Right?
[School children laughing and talking]
Sadie: David didn't come to us until he was 16. He started coming earlier and earlier
everyday, and usually when we have a kid that's coming early like that it means that
there's not a lot of structure, and supervision being provided
by the family. But he was showing up here more and more. And so
when he would show up here, we would put him to work. David: This place a 2nd home for me
I come here everyday. Not for the simple fact that I work, but because it's actually
fun and there's always something to do. Sadie: David's you know, he's on
the right path. Is he still a high risk kid? Yeah, he definitely is.
David: At times I do have that devil on the side of the shoulder.
You been going to school for all these days straight. You miss one time, it's going to hurt you.
That temptation is always there. So I just think, what guy wants to be 25 years old pumping gas?
That's not going to pay rent. That's not going to feed your kids
That's not going to be putting a roof over your head. So I'm just like, I don't want that to be me.
I'm not a loser. I'm not a quitter.
To graduate high school, that's a must. It's not even a point. It's I have to do it.
[The End.]