One Graduate's Story
Jessica, a Mercy Home youth, recently graduated from 8th grade. She shared her story at our annual education banquet. Here is the text from her speech.
Hello. My name is Jessica, and I am an eighth grade graduate. I came to Mercy Home over three years ago. Let me tell you why I came to Mercy Home.
It all started in third grade. My brother refused to go to school and he fought with my parents. It was really difficult to live in the house with so much fighting. When I was at school, I was constantly thinking about what was going on at home. I tried to focus on my work and keep up my grades, but it was difficult. I love my brother, but sometimes I just wanted him to disappear. I wanted it to be calm at home; I didn't want my family yelling all the time.
My dad contacted Mercy Home. I didn't know why I was going, but I am glad I went.
About four months into my stay at Mercy, I went home on pass and realized something was missing. There was no yelling, screaming, or fighting. Everything was silent. I asked my mom where my brother was and she said "They took him away". I remember that day perfectly. It is a day I will never forget.
My brother was sent to a hospital, then foster care. He has gone from foster home to foster home. My mother gave up custody of him. I cried that whole day, but I was also glad I was at Mercy Home. I probably would have never seen my family again if I hadn't come here.
I have come from a past of hatred, lies, and no comfort. I am now in a life-saving place with people who actually care.
In my first year at Mercy, a friend and I were placed in a Catholic elementary school. It was a good fit for us. I went there in sixth grade, and I did well. I was really nervous when my friend graduated. I would not only be going into a completely different part of the school for seventh grade, but I had no one to look up to. I was so used to playing the little sister role my entire life.
In seventh grade, a younger friend from Mercy came to my school. It was really weird for me to not be the youngest in my program. I enjoyed going to school with her and we had a lot of fun times with the help of another friend who was in eighth grade. I eventually got used to not being the youngest and more and more of my peers started seeing me as a role model. That felt really good.
I really struggled in seventh grade, at school and at Mercy Home. I really pulled myself together toward the end of the year. I worked hard to get my grades where they should be, and earn my phase back in program. At the end of seventh grade, I received the "I Make a Difference" award at my school. I was really surprised and happy along with Mercy Home staff. My mom and dad were really proud of me.
During my first two years at Mercy, I rarely talked to staff members. I would just talk to my peers most of the time. I finally started opening up to staff and began talking to them a lot more. I would talk to my education coordinator, my therapist, my advocate, and a couple of other staff members. Those were the main staff members that helped me throughout my stay at Mercy Home. It was really important for me to work through my past issues and my advocate made that a priority. My education coordinator has always been on my side even when I almost got suspended from school. Also, if I didn't complete a homework assignment, she would make me sit in the learning center until it was done. She even put a sign around me that said, "Don't Talk to Me I Have Missing Homework" in big letters. Looking back on it I laugh, but I also realize that she did that for my benefit.
I have also gotten really close to my therapist. When I first came to Mercy Home, I would just stare at her and not respond to her questions. Now I talk to her a lot. She has done a lot for me, like all of the staff members in my home. I would like to thank all of them and my tutors for helping me. They always made sure I understood things that I didn't get. There were some nights where they would stay with me almost an extra hour. I really appreciate all of my tutors I had while at Mercy.
I was really happy that this was my last year of grammar school. I went on a lot of trips and had fun at school. I was on the volleyball team and I recently won the "I Make a Difference" award again. At Mercy Home, I was considering moving on to the next program, Walgreen Home. I was then asked if I wanted to go to a boarding school. Soon, I applied for the Daniel Murphy Scholarship. I had to write a lot of essays and go to a few interviews. Finally, my education coordinator told me I got the scholarship. It pays for me to go to the school for all four years of high school as long as I keep my grades up. I plan on running track and joining the volleyball and cheerleading teams. I will be moving there in August. All of this is possible thanks to Mercy Home.
I am so glad Mercy helped me. From my family issues, occasional attitude, and my education, I would not have gotten this far without Mercy Home. When I get older, I would like to be a writer. I definitely have a lot to write about! I will be successful in life thanks to Mercy. If there is one thing I can impart on you today let it be learn from your past to improve your future. Thank You.