When an anonymous donor offered a scholarship opportunity for a BGC student to attend Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia, 17 year old Deven immediately came to mind. A bright, energetic young man and ROTC Master Sergeant, Deven has excelled since arriving here three years ago. He has formed strong bonds with his teaching parents and brothers in Cottage 9. Deven took a moment out of his hectic schedule this week to express his gratitude…
Boys and Girls Country is full of opportunities if you are open to them. If you try your best with the program, it will expose you to so many life lessons. I’m grateful that I get the chance to reach my full potential here. I’ve been in R.O.T.C the last couple years which has taught me discipline, so as soon as my teaching parents presented this to me I was excited! When we took a trip to visit Hargrave last month I knew I had to attend.
Attending Hargrave will equip me with the skills needed to succeed in life despite all the struggles the devil may put in front of me. I’m grateful for the donor who provided this opportunity. Boys and Girls Country has been incredibly good to me. They have shown me how blessed I am and just how many people care about me. I came here due to instability in my life; I’m entering into this new experience with self-confidence and faith. In my time here I’ve learned a lot about patience; I’m still learning to this day.
- ????????????????????????????????????
- Boys and Girls Country Staff and Students 2017
While I’ll still be a resident of BGC, I won’t be here like I’m used to. I’m going to miss the other boys in my cottage, their sense of humor and hanging out with them before school in the morning. I’ll miss Mrs. Madela’s cooking, Ms. Karen’s jokes, and Mr. Jim’s country accent! I appreciate all that my teaching parents have done for me, especially believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself. They have given me that extra nudge to keep going and to accomplish my goals. I hope to attend Queens University on an academic/wrestling scholarship after I graduate.
My mantra right now is, “Life is too short to take for granted! You blink and it’s time to graduate, so take everything like gold, and treat it like so.”
Deven is having a blast with Kristi Pierce, our Education and College and Career Program Manager. They just arrived in Charlottesville, Virginia! We’re going to miss Deven, but we are so excited for this next chapter and can’t wait to see him over Christmas break!
