Amanda’s mother works as a pastry chef in New Orleans and lost her job due to the recent economic downturn.  At home, Amanda had a lot of family responsibilities that pulled her from studying.  Boys Hope Girls Hope gave Amanda a place where she could focus.  She developed an interest in becoming a biology-chemistry major and a bio-ethicist.  Amanda said she first started thinking about medical related careers […]

Michell-Lee joined Boys Hope Girls Hope as her parents were parents were going through a tough time.  She was living with her mother, brother, and grandmother in the Bronx. She wanted to find an opportunity to get a better education and pursue her dreams.    “Living in the dorm gave me a sense of sisterhood. I […]

Moving into the Boys Hope Girls Hope home was a big transition as an only child, but in doing so James developed life-long friendships through the program. The structure provided by the team and the academic rigor of Walsh Jesuit High School helped him to prepare for college and his future career.  James also cites […]

Tianna would advise young people joining Boys Hope Girl Hope today to “Take advantage of the resources given.  There are so many resources through Boys Hope Girls hope, from mental health to career planning.  It’s nice to have people in your corner helping you figure out life!”  In May, Tianna graduated from Miami University with […]

Shirly’s parents cooked, cleaned, and delivered food for Chinese restaurants most of their lives.  Growing up, Shirly and her older sister worked alongside them. Shirly’s teacher recommended Boys Hope Girls Hope after recognizing Shirly’s academic strengths, engagement with student government and need for additional support.  Shirly said her parents didn’t speak English and, at first, were […]

Aryanna grew up with her parents and six siblings.  Her father worked in restaurants and her mother was a bus driver for Greyhound.  Aryanna’s parents believed in the power of education to pursue a better life.  They weren’t able to help Aryanna access a strong education. Aryanna joined Boys Hope Girls Hope of Pittsburgh in […]

“It was poor but dignified,” Luis said.  Luis spent his childhood living in Nicaragua, where his mother was from, and Guatemala, the home of his father. His parents separated and the situation was very challenging. As a boy, Luis often got into trouble with other kids in his neighborhood.  Reflecting now as a young man, […]

Watching her parents over time, Jessica developed a keen interest in engineering and medicine. She ultimately wants to research biomaterials and learn how to create medical devices that the human body will accept. To do this, Jessica will begin her college education at Colorado University in Boulder this fall, where she was awarded the Regent […]

Shavona learned about Boys Hope Girls Hope when she was 14 years old. Her family had hit a rough patch, she wasn’t able to sleep, and her grades had declined. Shavona became very interested after hearing about the program from two girls at her middle school. Learning that the cut-off age to enter the program […]

Malique Williams grew up in Long Island as the eldest of three siblings.  Much of his childhood was spent running, and Malique became a regional track and field star as he progressed in school. He describes his first year of high school as “crazy,” as it was during a time when his parents went through […]

Ericka joined Esperanza Juvenil, Boys Hope Girls Hope’s Guatemalan affiliate, after finishing the 6th grade.  Her family didn’t have the resources for Ericka to continue studying, a common challenge for families in Guatemala. She learned about Esperanza Juvenil through a partner organization that supports pre-school and elementary school children in a very economically challenged neighborhood […]

Andy’s life changed dramatically one day, when the police knocked on the door, looking for someone else and realized his father was an undocumented worker. A week later, Andy’s father was taken into custody, held in a detention center for eight months and then deported to Mexico. Andy’s life was thrown into chaos as he […]

“Boys Hope Girls Hope influences every decision I make today.” Micarah Young graduated at the top of her class with a degree in nursing from Georgia State University this month. In July, she’ll start her career as an Intensive Care Unit nurse at WellStar Atlanta Medical Center in Atlanta’s inner-city in the midst of the […]