Our February youth spotlight, D.A., is a story of expectations and how even when doing the right things, anyone can end up facing homelessness. D.A. grew up in Port Arthur, Texas before moving to the southeast side of Houston. It was the first of many moves in D.A.’s life, which left him longing for stability. D.A. noted that, despite the unstable living situation, his family and friends always supported him when it came to his academics. “My family always told me that I was the one who had to ‘make it out’,” he said. As the eldest of four siblings with a strong desire to set a good example, D.A. developed a rich inner life and pursued hobbies that would keep him out of trouble such as cooking and video games. D.A. worked tirelessly to have a chance at college and scholarships to escape the cycle of poverty he saw so many others become trapped within. Upon graduating high school, D.A. chose to attend the University of North Texas as he felt that the college was the right fit for his future.
Once school began, D.A. immediately set about volunteering and taking internships whenever possible. D.A.’s goals were simple: make the right moves. From feeding the less fortunate to joining student organizations, D.A. used his time in college to reinvent himself and leave his introverted comfort zone behind. D.A. never expected that he would struggle to find work after graduating, especially since he excelled in his classes and was active in extracurricular activities. Yet, struggling to find a job is where he found himself, so D.A. returned home to Houston in search of work and stability once again.
The search for work turned from days to weeks and eventually months went by without so much as a word. As hope of starting his career dwindled, D.A. started running into conflict at home. As stress mounted, coupled with D.A.’s newfound extroversion, fights with his family over his future became common. Sensing that he had worn out his welcome and not wanting to burden his family, D.A. anticipated he might end up on the streets.
Instead of ending up without shelter, D.A. found his way to Covenant House Texas after reading about it online, with the hope of finally finding stability in his life. “I believe that Covenant House offers programs and assistance for those who want to help themselves,” D.A. mentioned, sharing that the Career Center is helping him revamp his resume to aid his job search. D.A.’s experiences have kept him from dreaming too big since, as he puts it, “I feel shell shocked by reality, so my dreams are a lot less in the clouds and more on the ground.” His grand dream is to one day own a home and a paid-off car. “One thing I’ve learned throughout this ordeal, is that even though I did the right things for as long as I can remember, homelessness can still happen to anybody.”
Editor’s note: At D.A’s request, we did not include his photo with this story
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