Finding Purpose in the Classroom

April 24, 2026

As the middle child in a large family, Jordan was used to getting lost in the shuffle. His parents didn’t have a lot of time or attention to devote to each child. His dad also struggled with alcoholism, which caused a lot of strife in his parents’ relationship. Sometimes his mom would kick his dad out of the house.

“The best way to describe my home life was chaotic,” Jordan said. “My dad was always in and out of the house, and my parents were always fighting. We lived in a small house and there was never any privacy because my brothers or sisters were always around.”

Jordan found it pretty easy to fly under the radar. His parents never checked in to see if he did his homework or studied for an upcoming test. As long as he didn’t cause trouble for them, they didn’t seem to care much about what he was up to.

Without supervision or attention from his parents, it wasn’t hard for Jordan to fall in with the wrong crowd. It started when he was in middle school and wanted to spend as much time as possible out of the house.

It wasn’t long before Jordan was staying out late almost every night. By the end of his freshman year of high school, he had tried alcohol and marijuana.

“My friends were considered kind of wild at my school,” Jordan said. “But I thought they really cared about me, so it didn’t matter as much if I was headed down the wrong path.”

In addition to partying, Jordan’s friends were slowly getting involved in more risky activities, like stealing items out of unlocked cars and shoplifting at the local convenience store. Even though it started with taking little things, Jordan began to feel more and more uneasy with how his friends spent their time.

Everything came to a head when Jordan’s friends were caught stealing snacks from a grocery store while Jordan was with them. The owner of the store decided to let all the kids off with a warning, but he also called their parents to tell them about the shoplifting. Jordan’s mother was furious—and Jordan was angry right back at her.

“I tried to tell my mom it wasn’t me stealing, but she didn’t believe me,” Jordan said. “That made me really upset. Suddenly, she became really strict with rules, and I resented that.”

Jordan’s relationship with his mom began to deteriorate. He rebelled against all of her rules and began sneaking out of the house. And when his parents decided to divorce and his dad moved out for good, things got even worse. Jordan and his mom couldn’t even be in the same room without fighting. It was clear that something had to change.

Jordan’s mom heard about Mercy Home from a coworker and told Jordan that he would have to move in if he didn’t want to get kicked out of her house. Begrudgingly, Jordan went with his mom to an informational meeting at our Home and ended up actually liking the idea of coming here.

“I was ready to hate it,” Jordan said. “I thought it would be really depressing and just a place for my mom to dump me because I was causing too much trouble. But it was actually really welcoming and nice. I realized pretty quickly that being at Mercy could help me.”

Once Jordan moved in, he realized that getting some distance from his friend group was a positive thing. And growing up with many siblings made him comfortable living with a lot of other boys. He quickly made friends with his peers, realizing that surrounding himself with young people who had the same goals was motivating.

“A lot of the other guys went through hard things at home,” Jordan explained. “But they also were all working to improve their lives. At Mercy Home, they encourage us to set goals, and we were able to encourage each other to reach them.”

Before coming to Mercy Home, Jordan never cared much about school. But he began to see what doors would open for him if he took his education seriously. He worked hard with his tutors to catch up on his homework and learned how to study.

Jordan also eagerly participated in our Summer Career Institute, where he learned about different career paths and had time to think about his own future career.

After visiting a law firm, Jordan told our coworkers that he was thinking about becoming a lawyer someday. He knows that he will receive all the support he needs from Mercy Home as he continues his education and begins to think about colleges.

Jordan’s relationship with his mother has also improved. She has been participating in family therapy with Jordan, and they have been able to work out a lot of disagreements in a healthier way. Jordan hopes that eventually he can also reconnect with his dad and improve their relationship.

“Before Mercy Home, I was lost,” Jordan said. “But now it feels like there are so many possibilities in front of me. I finally have hope.”

Please give today at MercyHome.org/WM. It’s the most efficient way to help our kids build brighter futures. Thank you for making a wonderful difference in their lives!

Please note: Because we care deeply about protecting our children’s privacy, the names and certain identifying details in this story have been changed.