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We are often asked what our grads are doing now; where do they end up after they graduate from TROY School? Because of this, we wanted to share with you an incredible impact story of a young lady who graduated eleven years ago from TROY. Grab a tissue and prepare to be blown away by the incredible strength and courage of a young lady who, with the help of the staff at TROY, turned her life around.
Jenna’s Story
My name is Jenna Leazier. I started attending TROY when I was 14 years old. I had gotten into trouble for shop lifting and was put on informal probation which required me to attend TROY’s afterschool program. During my time on informal probation, I continued to get into trouble and break many of the rules associated with my probation. Over time, I refused to go to school during the day and started increasing my drug usage. Eventually, I was put on formal probation and was expelled from public high school during my sophomore year. By this time, I was in the grips of a full-blown drug addiction. I was given a final chance to make a difference in my life by attending TROY School for their day program. The staff at TROY gave me the second chance I needed to be able to graduate and receive my high school diploma. During the beginning of my time at TROY I was still using drugs and defying any authority figure in my life. I continued to fail several drug tests and was placed in three different juvenile detention centers, ending up on house arrest by the time I was 17 years old. While many people in my life had given up on me, the staff at TROY were always there for me no matter what choices I made. They just wanted me to be better and get clean.
While attending TROY I was able to meet with counselors and teachers whenever I needed. The staff at TROY helped me realize I could have a different life. They were the first people who told me that I could be different and that how I was living was not normal. One of the main things that impacted me the most was being taught accountability. Until I started at TROY, I didn’t take accountability for anything I had done or the choices I had made. I was in the habit of blaming everything and everyone for the bad choices I was making. While I do know that the awful things I went through in life made an impact on me, I couldn’t use them as a crutch anymore. I had to use them as motivation to be a better person and make better choices. My time at TROY taught me so many valuable lessons about life and myself, also while offering me guidance during a time in my life when I needed it the most.
In 2012 I was able to graduate high school all thanks to TROY. If I was not given that second chance, I would not be where I am today. Today, I am 29 years old, I have been sober for eight and a half years and have been a Certified Medical Assistant since 2015. Now, I am also attending college to become a Registered Nurse. I have been with my wonderful fiance’, Jason, for 10 years and we have three beautiful children together. If you would have known me in high school, I would have been the last person you would think would be sober and living a great life. To know that I am SOBER, A MOM, NEVER BEEN IN TROUBLE WITH THE LAW SINCE GRADUATING and LIVING A LIFE WHERE I HAVE ANYTHING I COULD NEED OR WANT is still a hard concept for me to grasp when I think of what my life used to look like. I will FOREVER be thankful for the staff at TROY for fighting for me and giving me the support and tools I needed to be successful in life. Every child deserves a place where they can go and feel cared for and know someone is in their corner fighting for them no matter what mistakes they have made in life; TROY was that place for me.
WOW !!! We don’t know about you, but we get goosebumps every time we read Jenna’s story ! Stories like Jenna’s are an excellent reminder and illustration of how your investment in TROY School creates life changing opportunities for young people who need it the most. Currently, we have 47 students attending TROY, many with stories as gut-wrenching and heartbreaking as Jenna’s.
As we head into the final weeks of 2023, we ask that you consider partnering with TROY School to ensure our students receive the education and tools they need to succeed in life, just like Jenna ! We feel truly blessed to be part of this community and could not do what we do at TROY without your financial investment. Never doubt the incredible difference YOU make in the lives of our students !
Year-end gifts to TROY School may be made through the following avenues:
We are truly grateful for your support!
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