Resident
Spotlight: Thomas & Keith
For 102 years
Boys’ Home has been a place that provides
youth with opportunities. Many boys that
come here have unique backgrounds. If you
ever wondered what things are like from
their point of view, now you get a chance to
find out. With the resident spotlight, we
focus on two residents telling their stories
about how Boys’ Home helped improve their
chances for change and success.
First is Keith who
has been a resident for two years and will
be a 9th grader in high school.
The adjustments he
had to make while being here are as common
as everyone’s when they first arrive. One of
them is that he has had to switch cottages
early in his residency. He moved from
Watkins Cottage with younger kids to Brown
Cottage with the kids in the middle school
level.
Another thing he
has gotten used to is tucking in his shirt
and keeping it tucked in. Good grooming is
emphasized as part of putting your best foot
forward at all times.
Keith is a member
of the outdoorsman club and the Boys’ Home
basketball team. Keith shares this with
potential new residents, "Boys’ Home is a
good place."
Second is Thomas
who is from West Virginia and has been a
resident here for five months. He sees Boys’
Home as a place he can call "cool" and a
place that is starting to feel like home to
him. He has been here for a short time, but
he enjoys residing in Greene.
As it goes for
adjustments that have to be made as a Boys’
Home resident, there are many. One in
particular for Thomas is that he is not able
to leave the "Hill" as often as the other
residents. This lack of freedom might not be
a bad thing. However, he uses his time on
the "Hill" to help him do better in the
classroom.
With the
advantages that the Boys’ Home School
offers, he finds it easier to maintain a
higher grade point average. He is currently
a 10th grader here at the Boys’ Home School.
He is another individual who brought his
talents to Boys’ Home. He plays the guitar,
sings and writes his own music.
His advice for any
new resident that comes along to Boys’ Home
is to just give it a try and not make things
difficult on yourself. His goals are to
attend community college or a technical
center to study automotives.
