Reggie, a former Mercy Home resident, has his sights on a career in education and in national politics.
“I want to be a teacher, the mayor of Chicago, and the president of the United States,” he said.
As a major in political science, Spanish and Chinese at the prestigious Emory University in Atlanta, these goals reflect the true passion of the scholar and burgeoning public speaker that he is.
“I like to keep busy,” he often says with a humble smile.
And this is no overstatement. While living at Mercy Home, Reggie attended the college preparatory school St. Ignatius, where he juggled a demanding workload with a leadership position on his debate team, tutored at a nearby grade school, participated in out-of-state service projects, spiritual retreats and other dynamic extracurricular activities.
During his two years there, he created a reputation for himself among teachers as a quiet leader, respectful and exceptionally hard-working. No doubt he will use the momentum he created with his achievements to propel him closer to his future goals.
Reggie’s future did not always look so bright. Reggie grew up in an incredibly unstable home environment, with parents addicted to drugs. He was forced to grow up fast, buying the groceries and handling other household duties at an early age. At one point, he ended up homeless with his mother in St. Louis, a horrible time for him.
“That year spent in St. Louis was the worst year of my life,” he said.
His aunt, a social worker in Chicago, recommended that he check out Mercy Home. That’s when everything started to turn around for him. Mercy Home was able to place him at St. Ignatius, and his natural academic abilities began to thrive.
His third high school in two years, St. Ignatius provided the perfect environment for Reggie, offering him a great deal of experiences he would not have had. Reggie traveled out of the country to Spain with his language class, for example.
“I never dreamed I would be able to go to a school like St. Ignatius,” he said.
Mercy Home provided Reggie with an after-school tutor, so that he could catch up after being in and out of school for several years. It also gave him the opportunity to live in a loving, supportive environment with youth his own age.
“I roamed around a lot in St. Louis. I was really shy,” he admitted. But with the help of therapists at Mercy Home, and weekly meetings where his peers shared their feelings, Reggie learned to open up and to engage more fully with people in his life.
Out of his shell, and into the world, Reggie is ready for an amazing future—all thanks to Mercy Home, and the incredible dedication of good people like you.
Please note: Because we care deeply about protecting the privacy of our boys and girls, we have changed the name used in this story, as well as certain identifying details.
