Our High Schoolers Want You to Know…

When visitors come to Boys and Girls Country, they are often surprised by our family structure and cottage homes. Guests exclaim, “This is just like our house!” We love hearing that! Just like any family, our kids are involved in after-school activities, jobs, sports, career preparation, and much more. Two of our high schoolers took time out of their busy schedules to share their experiences as normal kids at BGC.

Tirzah lives in Cottage 2 and is currently a junior. She has been at BGC for 6 years and has grown tremendously in her time here.

What do you like most about school this year?

My clinical science class! I love that I get to work in something that directly involves my future career.

What do you look forward to after school?

Coming home and getting to rest. The school day seems like forever sometimes. I also really look forward to catching up with the other girls in the house. Even though we live together, we all have so many other things going on. I don’t get to see them as much as I’d like too, so after school and during dinner is when we get to catch up.

Are you in any extracurricular activities?

I’m on the dance team, in National Honor Society, and I work at Whataburger around that schedule. It doesn’t seem like that much compared to some of my peers though.

How do your teaching parents work with and around your school/work schedule?

They do so much! Four of the girls in our cottage have our driver’s permits, including me, but none of us has a license yet. Most of us have an after school/weekend job so Ms. Dani and Mr. Sackett have to drive us everywhere and pick us up, not to mention cooking every meal and helping us with homework.

Sounds like you’re very grateful for your teaching parents.

I adore them! I’m beyond grateful for all they do and all they put up with from us. They make our cottage feel like home, and I look forward to seeing them after a long day. I was brought to BGC because my grandmother who raised me was no longer physically able to take care of me, so I appreciate the family and support I’ve gotten here.

What do you want people to know about the Boys and Girls Country kids?

We’re normal kids. This is our home, and we have a typical life with a little extra support. We also have amazing college opportunities. I am really excited to go into the College and Career program after graduation, especially since I come from a family where most of the adults never made it to college. The fact that I have a whole group of people to help me get set up for college is a huge relief for me. I’m working hard because my dream is to go to Texas A&M and pursue a career as an ER doctor. I want to double major in pre-med and criminal justice, which seems like a lot, but I come from a family who never had the chance to pursue higher education. I’m in the top 11.2% of my class as a junior! I have time to improve so just keep watching!

Morgan is a senior and lives in Cottage 6 with Amy and Austin Woods. He’s been a part of Boys and Girls Country for seven years and has a vivacious and driven attitude we enjoy so much!

What are the highlights of a typical school day for you?

Getting to see my friends. I don’t get to see them as much as I’d like with all that I’m doing. Then sleep! By the time I get home I’m ready for bed.

What are your extracurricular activities?

Band, student council, Spanish club, and National Honor Society

What would you want people to know about you?

I’d want them to know about my love for Christ and how important that relationship is to me.

What are you grateful to your teaching parents for?

There are seven high school boys in our cottage. They put up with a lot of nonsense and attitudes when we’re going through things. They stay patient and loving and support us and everything we sign on to do for school and work. Technically we’re not their kids, but they treat us like their own. Nobody is making them do that; they want to. This is our home, and they make it feel like it.

Is there anything you want people to know about Boys and Girls Country?

This is like a regular home. It has its ups and downs. I never really had a relationship with Christ until after my mom died; that was when I really wanted to know Him. Boys and Girls Country has a lot of people in place who’ve helped me understand and grow in that. My goal is to go to University of Texas – San Antonio, and I will be in the reserves.

If you’d like to come visit Boys and Girls Country and see for yourself how our kids live, our next Walk of Hope campus tour is on Saturday, October 7 at 10:00. You can get more details HERE.