I saw a picture of a smiling young man dressed in welding gear in a photo. I asked Larry our 71Five VoTech Coordinator to tell me his story. Larry responded, “He’s one of my favorite students, I told you about him. He’s the kid who showed up with his hoodie pulled over his head, a dog mask on his face, hands shoved deep in his pockets and he wouldn’t participate in the program, he wouldn’t even speak when spoken to… Today he’s a top welder, he bought an expensive helmet and is having a special welding glove made because he has missing fingers. He also bought a truck; he’s performing an engine change at his house and becoming an amazingly independent adult.” I responded, “Really?!… that can’t be the same kid!!” What an incredible transformation!!

 

This young man has deep scars, both physical and emotional. When he was six, he was trapped in a house fire. He was burned over 70% of his body and his mom died in the fire protecting him. He’s gone through many, many surgeries to repair his scarred body. As Larry put it, “he showed up thinking he was damaged goods without a future”. This young man needed vocational training but more than that he needed an adult who would respectfully push through the hard exterior, build trust and lead him to hope. Hope for this life as well as hope for the next.

 

Thank you for providing trust that leads to hope!!