Marcus* was a determined young man. He was not going to let his past trauma define him.
When he came to Nexus-Indian Oaks residential treatment he worked diligently on addressing his challenges, attending school, and gaining skills toward independence. Thanks to the compassion and dedication of our teachers, Marcus overcame his educational challenges and graduated high school.
Our vocational coach helped Marcus explore a variety of vocational and employment opportunities. Marcus chose to enroll in the welding program at a community college. He will be the first person in his family to attend college and said he hopes he can make a career out of welding, so he can eventually support his own family. His supplies for school were funded by the employees of Nexus through our YouthNow employee-funded giving program.
Learning to Live Independently
After graduation, Marcus moved from Nexus-Indian Oaks residential treatment into a transitional living program at our sister agency, Nexus-Onarga. This move is a step toward independent living. Marcus learns life-long skills such as healthy eating habits, budgeting and money management, and personal grocery shopping. He is thriving and he feels valued.
Recently, our staff at Nexus-Onarga helped make one of Marcus’ long-term goals come true – seeing his birth mother and giving her a hug for the first time in over 6 years. Marcus’s mother expressed her gratitude repeatedly to the Nexus Family Healing programs for the work done to decrease his level of risk, improve the quality of her communication with her son, and support Marcus with his academic goals.
We are excited for what may come next for Marcus and are thrilled we could be a part of restoring hope and reshaping a future for this bright, young man.
*Name and some details have been changed to protect privacy.