“I’ve been here for about four years. I went to school at Valley and switched over to PRP - that’s where I graduated from. I’m not from here. I came here from Illinois and just came down here. My mom came down here for rehab after she was released from prison. I was in foster care and all that. Now, I have a baby on the way and I’m doing good. I got a little job and I’m taking care of these dogs and getting ready to have some puppies. I’m trying to live life and stay out of the way from all of this stuff. Yesterday, I heard that someone got shot a couple of blocks from here and I had to hurry up and get home. I heard the shots and I had to get from over there.

Before going into foster care, my brother and I was out here living on our own for a long time. We had a three-story house to ourselves when I was fourteen. One day my mom came and the police came up in there and told us that she had to go to jail. We didn’t know what was going on. They said that she went to jail for some dude that she wasn’t trying to snitch on. She had to go to jail for almost twelve years and I lost everything. I was so mad. 

Now, I just stay to myself. I got dogs and I put my life into them. I have like six dogs and I just keep going and I’m waiting on my son to come.

I hope I get a good start and do the right shit for my son. I didn’t have my father. My father’s in prison, so I have to try to do this without having an example.”- Keavonte, Shawnee