Youth on College-Bound Path Thanks to Hard Work

After overcoming obstacles many of us cannot even image, three Boys Town girls recently received scholarships to attend Creighton University in the Fall of 2010. Creighton is a private university known for educating and preparing students who are interested in the health care, law and education fields, just to name a few.

Maya, Taylor and Karly worked hard for this next step in their future, and they each have their own story of how Boys Town helped get them to this next step. Read their stories below.

Maya

Maya, a member of the Umonhon and Ho-Chunk people, grew up on the Omaha and Winnebago Indian Reservations in Nebraska. Her family was supportive and had high expectations for Maya, but she did what she felt like doing, and anyone who tried to stop her was the enemy. She began running with the wrong crowd and got involved with alcohol and drugs. Always a good student, Maya’s grades slipped. Soon, she was in serious trouble with the law.

That’s when Maya’s mother desperately reached out to Boys Town for help. Read Maya's Story ›

Taylor

Taylor was a child without a place to really call home. At a young age, she was adopted. But later, when two more adopted children joined the family, Taylor’s adoptive mother became more and more distant.

Taylor struggled with her feelings of rejection and being unwanted by her parents and her adoptive parents. Discouraged, angry and bitter, she began acting out as a way to deal with her emotions and to get attention. Taylor didn’t think anyone cared about her, and she’d given up hope that anyone ever would. Read Taylor's Story ›

Karly

Karly came from an affluent family that lived on the West Coast. Her mom and dad owned a successful business in the housing industry, working long hours to build their business so the family could enjoy the fruits of their labor. With her parents at work much of the time, Karly took advantage of her affluence and freedom from close supervision. Eventually, Karly got in trouble with the law. Then, financial disaster struck her family when the economy nosedived and the housing market tanked. In addition, the family learned Karly’s mom had cancer.

These troubles, combined with Karly’s continued poor choices and struggles, overwhelmed her parents and they began to look for help. A family member suggested Boys Town. Read Karly's Story ›