My name is KJ, and I’ve been working with SHIP since January of my senior year. Before that, stability was something I didn’t always know. My journey was shaped by housing instability, responsibility, and learning how to keep going even when life felt heavy.
Growing up, I often had to be more than a child. I stepped into responsibilities far beyond my years, trying to support my family, protect the people I loved, keep my grades up, compete as an athlete, and work to help meet basic needs. For a long time, I believed strength meant carrying everything alone. Eventually, I learned that true strength is knowing when to accept support.
By January 2025, things had reached a breaking point. Thankfully, my school counselor saw through the mask I was wearing and connected me with SHIP of Frederick County. They met me where I was and helped me begin again.
SHIP didn’t just offer resources; they offered hope. They helped me navigate FAFSA, connected me with opportunities, supported my basic needs, helped me secure housing through the host home program, and eventually guided me toward signing a lease for my own apartment and starting college in the fall of 2025. Through the SCG program, I even received a car, giving me the freedom and independence I had been working toward.
Because people believed in me, doors opened. I found new opportunities, new confidence, and peace I had been searching for. I learned that healing is possible, growth is real, and your past does not define your future.
To anyone struggling right now: your roots do not define your ceiling, and someone else’s timeline does not define your journey. Keep moving forward. Even when life feels overwhelming, progress is still possible one step at a time.
I’m not just pursuing success for myself. I want to create a path for those coming behind me. I am deeply grateful for SHIP and for every person who encouraged me along the way. You never know how far one word of support can go. Thank you for helping me find my way.