Jocelyn was raised in a chaotic and tumultuous household: her father was an alcoholic and her mother was a drug addict. When she wasn’t being downright ignored or neglected, she found herself caught in the middle of physical altercations between her parents. By the time Jocelyn was in high school, she had had enough. She went to live with her grandmother, who provided Jocelyn with a stable home but could not financially support her.
Despite these circumstances, Jocelyn is blossoming into an independent and successful young woman with help from Youth On Their Own. She makes A’s and B’s and is proud to receive her stipend check each month! She also receive food, hygiene items, and school supplies through YOTO’s Mini-Mall, which helps ease the burden on her grandmother. “Because of YOTO’s help, I am able to be a little more self-sufficient,” says Jocelyn. “I can get things that I need – like food and school supplies – without having to trouble my grandma.”
According to her teachers and her YOTO Program Coordinator, Jocelyn is one of the nicest and most polite young ladies you will ever meet. Every time she walks into a room, she radiates warmth and joy. She genuinely cares about others and wants to someday give back to the YOTO program, which has helped her to stay in school.
Jocelyn is currently a senior in high school, where she is a member of the Student Council and the National Honors Society. Upon graduation, she will be attending the University of Arizona to study law. She hopes to one day practice family law.
According to Jocelyn, “The people at YOTO make me feel like I can do anything. I see them more than I see anything else. Without YOTO, I’d be on the streets… not going to college, my grades would be below average, and I would be super stressed about life. Whenever I need support or just a pick-me-up, YOTO is there.”
