Outliers Students

Mark’s Story

“One day I heard my dad ran away; ran away from the law, he left to Mexico.

I haven’t seen him since I was 5. Then my mom started getting abused by my sister’s dad. We moved to a different, house, but it was the same situation there.

It continued through 6th grade. Everyone made fun of me because of the way I talked, the way I dressed… I hadn’t been allowed out much because of where we lived at. My mom wouldn’t let me outside, or just in general out of the room. I couldn’t even go in the backyard to play with the animals… It was terrible.

My mom had this mental problem…

What she thinks she hears, or thinking there was someone there… It effected our childhood…

It was during jr high that child welfare took us. I stayed with a foster mom for a bit.

My grandma and grandpa tried to adopt me, but it was the same situation… the household I was in…

My mom’s godmother’s daughter heard about us and took us in… Me and my sister. We were very thankful. Where we stayed at there was very good.

This was where we started doing our own stuff.

Then one day we did something bad… And we kept on doing it… Theft. stealing from CVS, until one day we got caught.

My guardian parents were very disappointed in me.

I just got worse from there. I started having a bad attitude towards my teachers, back talking to them… Not being responsible.

I used to be very depressed and not cooperative, not very positive. I used to say School sucks, school sucks. What future? I don’t have one.

Until my guardian parents took me to different churches. Somehow when I kept on going back, God effected me, little by little.

God took ahold of me, I praise the Lord.

God touched my heart and showed me that I have a future. After that everything started going good.

School wise, my grades are doing good, I don’t backtalk my teachers anymore.

I started to get to know my guardian parents more, I’ve been accepted into their family more and more, and even people that aren’t related to me, I got accepted into their family as well.

From there, it’s been a positive year for me.

“I used to be very depressed. I used to say ‘School sucks… What future? I don’t have one.’ But God touched me, touched my heart, showed me that I have a future”

— Mark