Boys Hope Girls Hope of San Francisco Bay alumnus, Perry Im, joined the program as a residential scholar in sixth grade. The youngest of seven children, none of his older siblings had graduated high school. “I had different plans. I wanted to go to college,” Perry revealed. However, given his family’s history, he focused his […]
I grew up in St. Louis, MO, with my younger brother. We lived with our parents until I was three and my brother was one. Then, our parents divorced, and we moved in with our grandparents, who raised us. When I was five, my mother went into her first of eight nursing homes, where she […]
I suppose my story begins as so many of ours do, from a broken home. I was the second to last of six siblings and my parents divorced when I was very young. I can’t even remember them being married. As I got older, I came to realize that my siblings and I became just […]
I came to Boys Hope during my sophomore year at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. I come from a broken home. My father left when I was 2 and I never saw him again. My mother fell into depression and substance dependency. Because of the struggles she faced, I became an outlet for […]
I spent most of my childhood bouncing between my parents from Chicago, IL. to Los Angeles, CA. and back again. My life was very unstable, and hectic. Both of my parents tried to do their best, but both were emotionally unstable, and I was forced into a parental role early in my youth. When Boys […]
There was no question whether or not Daniel Braswell would go to college. His determination and his intelligence made it a foregone conclusion. However, his chaotic home life made pursuing academics a difficult challenge. “I entered Boys Hope Girls Hope of Cincinnati’s residential program in 2009, and academics became my top and only priority,” he […]
Twenty-two year-old Brenda was born in Sayaxche, Peten in Guatemala. When she was five, Brenda moved with her parents and five siblings to Los Reyes, San Andres, Peten, located far from her extended family in Sayaxche. Los Reyes was a very small, isolated town, and the only transportation to and from it was one bus […]
At 13 years old, Greg joined Boys Hope Girls Hope as a residential scholar. His father had passed, and he was living in a housing project where drugs, gangs and violence were the norm. As residential scholar, Greg moved out of his neighborhood and into the Boys Hope Girls Hope home where he was safe […]
Brijhette was raised by an elderly and loving aunt who deeply believed in the power of education. When she and her aunt learned of BHGH STL through a former teacher, they knew it would offer life-changing opportunities and would be worth the sacrifice of living apart. Brijhette joined Girls Hope at age 11. As her […]
Like many BHGH alumni, Nick attributes his success to the constructive and academic-focused home environment provided by BHGH. Born and raised in New Orleans, Nick experienced the “pull of negativity” as he entered his teenage years. The odds were stacked against him, as many of his peers had already succumbed to destructive lifestyles. Life at […]
Greetings! My name is Luana. I graduated from Mercy High School six days ago and I will be attending Vassar College in the fall. My family’s involvement with Boys Hope Girls Hope started with my brothers and I followed in their footsteps. I was in the 6th grade when my family partnered with BHGH, and […]