A Graduation Story

Many of the students who graduate from River Academy are the first in their families to finish school and achieve this important milestone.

Kevin, a student who lived at Holston Home for years, delivered an emotional speech at his graduation ceremony. He shared with the crowd that “it’s been kind of a rough time. I want to say that I have made it a long way to get to where I am. I have been through anger issues, losing a good home, losing my mom, and being away from my best friend.”

He went on to say that when he thought about the future, he felt scared, because he didn’t know if he had one.

“For my fellow graduates, I know how some of you feel,” he explained. “We sometimes lose people we love. Some of us come from families with lots of problems. But I’m standing in front of you today to say: we can do this! We can have a future that isn’t full of the scars of our past. The future might come with some challenges but have hope. You aren’t trying to build your future alone, you have help.”

The boys and girls at Holston Home can rest in knowing they have hope and healing for a brighter future because of God’s love and caring friends like you!

*To protect the privacy of our youth, names have been changed.