James' Story
It was the year 1999 when I first met James. He was an inmate at Price Halfway House, a level 6 facility for felony charges. James was 6'3" and weighed 240 lbs. He has four gold teeth in the center of his mouth. If you meet James on the street you would more than likely be intimidated by him.
At the time I met James, I was a facilitator conducting group sessions on conflict resolution and anger management at Price Halfway House. James was consistent in attending the group sessions and participated with great enthusiasm. One day he came to me and asked if Quality Life Center would help him when he completed his program commitment. I assured him we would be very happy to welcome him into our program.
James completed his program commitment and was enrolled into the Quality Life Center's Young Manhood Program. He developed strong leadership skills and showed great leadership ability. He was also enrolled into the Alternative Learning Center High School where he transitioned to a work program and secured employment. Things were going well for James as he began to look forward to the future. As he continued to grow and show progress he became more confident in his ability to succeed in life. As a result, he decided he wanted to go to college.
For him to graduate with a high school diploma, James needed to pass the HSCT, (High School Competency Test). He was experiencing difficulties in math. With the help of the Administrative Director of Quality Life Center tutoring him, James was able to pass the math section of the test and graduate. James' ambition was to secure a scholarship and play college football. He was consistent in his efforts and proved to the school and coaches he was serious about continuing his education and playing football.
Through the scholarship division of Quality Life Center, James was aided in securing acceptance at Florida A&M University in the summer of 1999. Once accepted to College, arrangements were made for him to be taken to school. The person that was to accompany him to Tallahassee didn't come through and James ended up taking the Greyhound bus on his own. James was determined not to allow anything to discourage him from living out his dream of attending college.
Due to his academic history, the University informed James that he must attend a special program for incoming freshman or he could not be admitted in the fall semester. The University was unable to waive the cost of the program because he was admitted late. James used the leadership skills he developed with the Quality of Life Center's Young Manhood Leadership Program and lobbied several members of the community to aid him in financing the cost of his tuition for the program. James is in his 3rd year of College and doing well. He also plays a fullback position on the football team.
We are all very proud of James. His successes are a testimony to the work that we do at The Quality Life Center.