I came to live at the Georgia Sheriffs’ Boys Ranch in May of 2019. I moved to Hahira from Sylvester, where I had been living with my parents and my younger brother. When I first arrived at the Boys Ranch, I had to take some time to adjust to having more structure and rules in my life. I had to develop a relationship with my new house parents and the other staff. During this time of transition, everybody was very supportive and caring and helped me adjust to living in my new home.
In my time at the Ranch, I have made new friends; I have gotten to participate in many different community activities. I have been on vacation to Jekyll Island, the Flint River Aquarium in Albany and to Atlanta, to name a few. I have also had the opportunity to participate in many activities closer to home like Christmas parades, classic car club picnics and trips to Wild Adventures.
I have attended Lowndes County High School, and by the time you are reading this I will be a proud graduate. During my time at Lowndes High School, I was able to work in the Coffee Shop for my junior and senior years. I represented LHS in Special Olympics in all four years of high school. I really enjoyed my time at Lowndes High School, and I will be the first high school graduate in my family. I would not have been able to do this without the support of the Boys Ranch.
I want to thank the Boys Ranch staff, my house parents, Mr. Darron, Ms. Angela, Ms. Traci, and Mr. Shaun. They make sure I have everything I need. I want to thank Ms. Linda and Ms. India in the kitchen for cooking for me. My favorite is the spaghetti that they make, it is delicious. I also want to thank all the supporters for taking the time to make sure that I have had a place to live the last five years, I really do not know where I would have been in my life without the Boys Ranch.
Lastly, I want to let the sheriffs know how much of a difference they have made in my life by having the Boys Ranch be there when I needed it most. Thank you.