Letter From Perspectives Teen Resident

Living the “good life” has not always held true for this one. I have seen and heard things by the age of 18 that most young adults cannot even fathom. I know things that are beyond my years, but that has molded me into the individual that I am right now. I am 18 years-old, college bound, healthy, driven, and a Gates Millennium Scholar. The setbacks in my life have not doused the flame within me to do well and strive for greatness. And I am forever thanking God for that.




October 20, 2003 was the turning point in my life. That day is my mother’s clean date and this year she will be celebrating her 7th year being clean and sober. To tell her story would take a novel, however all of the detrimental things that happened to her before October 20, 2003, are irrelevant. It is not important that she spent a majority of her life as an addict, or that her habits almost broke our family, BECAUSE she has risen from the ashes of her past, and paved a path or clarity and sobriety for her future and mine. Perspectives aided her in that task. And for that I am eternally grateful.



Perspectives gave us a spot. A spot to show up and show out. And we did. That spot included a completely furnished apartment, activities for my sister and me to partake in weekly, and a place where my family and I could reconnect and get to know one another. Before moving to Saint Louis Park I knew a mirage of my mother. An alcoholic, drug addicted fictitious image, that was not her. It was the pain that had consumed her, and left her with the idea that self medication was the only way out. I will not say that Perspectives saved her, she saved herself, and my sister and I were just along for the ride. However, as I stated earlier, Perspectives gave us a spot, and with that spot came a chance. They gave us a chance to rebuild what was broken, show that we could make it, and to mend our shattered hearts. So Thank You.



Anyhoo, on April 19th, 2010 my life as a student was made much simpler. I was given my letter of induction as a Gates Millennium Scholar. For those of you who cannot comprehend, that means I do not have to pay for college at all. Tears of joy, tears of relief, tears of every emotion you can think of were falling when I opened the letter. I am 1 of 1000 scholars that are selected for this grant. And I am floored that Bill and Melinda Gates found me deserving of it. They took a chance on me, similar to Perspectives. Thank You both. I am headed to Howard University in Washington D.C. in August to further my education with the eventual goal of becoming a Federal Judge.



This life has been good to me and ever so bitter as well, but you know what? That is alright. I am here and I have too much to live for. My past has not hindered me on my pursuit for greatness, because that is what I am. I am greatness. So a special Thank You to Perspectives Inc. You guys gave me a spot and a chance. And my family and I have broken the cycle.