My life has always been a little tumultuous.

When I was just a few days old, my father tried to sell me on the black market for money. Sometimes my grandmother would say it would’ve been better if she had let him because I would’ve had a better life. I always disagreed with her.

You see, if my grandmother hadn’t intervened, I never would have had the opportunity to come to Boys Town, Nebraska. Yes, I came to Boys Town because of awful family circumstances. But once I got here, I saw what a real, stable family was like. People really cared about my well-being. My Family-Teachers ^® and the other girls in my Family Home ate dinner together every night. We did our homework together. These girls became my “sisters,” and we cheered each other on – in fact, we’re still cheering each other on to this day.

Living in a stable environment at Boys Town allowed me the luxury of thinking about my future. There was no longer a daily struggle just to make it through. During my nearly two years as a Boys Town youth, I applied myself to my studies and realized my passion for teaching. I recently graduated college with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education, and I’m now an instructional facilitator for the Boys Town High School mentoring program.

I always knew I wanted to come back to Boys Town to share what I’d learned with other kids in similar situations. My first year teaching at Boys Town was one of the hardest I can remember. But it also was extremely rewarding because I got to witness firsthand students making progress and starting to believe in themselves.

I’ve never really left Boys Town. The skills I learned and the relationships I developed have all stayed with me through the years. I’m proud to say I’m a Boys Town kid, and I hope to make a positive impact on the boys and girls who call Boys Town their home right now.

For nearly a century, Boys Town has helped save children and heal families at the brink of tragedy by giving them the support they need to turn their lives around.  Discover more stories like Tina’s here.