Joey’s parents divorced when he was a young teen, and his already fragile life became even more unstable. He bounced between the houses of his parents and step-parents, which caused his relationships with all of his family members to rapidly deteriorate. He then turned to gangs for support and companionship.

Joey’s gang involvement led to using and dealing drugs, running from cops, and hustling to survive. Before long, he had a criminal record and had been in-and-out of juvenile detention centers and group homes.

While at Boys Totem Town, a residential program for adolescent boys, Joey began to realize he was hitting rock bottom and needed to change.  He met with HAP’s Professional Mentor and developed goals to change his life and improve the relationships with his family members. He shared the challenges of living with his father, step-mother, siblings and grandfather, including the fact that they moved at least every year. He promised himself that someday he would buy a home for his family, so they would never have to move again.

Joey completed his required stay at Boys Totem Town and continued to participate in HAP’s aftercare program and meet with his mentor. After leaving BTT, Joey had his ups and downs, but he never lost sight of his goal for a better life for himself and his family. He also came to the realization that before he could help his family members, he first had to help himself.

With support from his mentor, Joey applied to Minnesota State University, Mankato. Soon after, he received an acceptance letter. Joey was hesitant to leave Saint Paul, because he worried that he would lose contact with his friends. With encouragement from his mentor, however, he realized that moving to Mankato would be the best way for him to get a fresh start.

Joey attended his freshman seminar and quickly became acquainted with his classmates and instructors. After only a few weeks of class, Joey’s first comment to his mentor was, “I don’t even want to come back home!”