I did run away from home. I was doing drugs and trying to make money illegally. And I wasn't attending school, or I would attend school and I'd ditch. I actually did feel like I was nobody, like I was worthless.
My own family was distant from me. And that hurt so much, to not have people to be there for me to run to. And it really did make me want to end my life.
I was in my junior year of high school and I had a counselor there who's just telling me there's a lot of places out there that can help me. The mentor I had, he was great. He actually helped me a lot. He showed me that I could be somebody, that I'm not just another statistic.
Having that authority figure and that person who you know that doesn't need to care about you but does, made it so much easier for me to open up to him and to allow him to be a big part of my life. Now, I feel more proud. I'm able to put my name out there and not feel ashamed.
I'm proud to go home and have my mom and dad tell me that they're grateful that I'm doing what I'm doing. It makes them see that I've done a full 360. I graduated from high school and now I'm getting ready to go to college.
I'm going to major in architectural design and drafting. I want to be able to build homes for people who are low income, but give them the dream home they've always wanted.