Juan. 17
Prayer Request: stress to be low, finish the year well
Drugs, trouble, stealing, chaos: that about sums up Juan’s life before attending Eastside Academy. “I went to King’s Academy my whole life. So coming to EA was a big adjustment. It was the first time I’d ever changed schools,” Juan said. “I was definitely moving outside of my comfort zone.
“I expected EA to be stuffy, almost locked down in a way. I definitely didn’t think I’d be able to make any friends or even have any space to socialize with others. I expected EA to be really strict.” Juan knew he needed a change, knew he needed to get away from the crowd he had been spending time with, and get his life on a different track.
It took Juan a while to settle in at EA. While he has always been gregarious and easy going, inside Juan maintained some space from others. “I didn’t trust anyone. So it took me a while to open up,” he said. “But when I finally learned to trust others and see that they wanted the best for me; that’s when everything changed. My life is completely different now. This is the peak of my life up to this point. I’m clean, I have a job, I’m happy. I can actually see a future that doesn’t involve drugs and trouble.”
“Trust took me a while,” Juan said. “But I quickly learned that the teachers and the staff will go to the wall for you. There is so much support here. That’s why my life is different. They make it easy to put in the work for change.” Juan also reciprocates that support to his fellow students. Carl Dodd, the Head of School, said that Juan “has a heart that unites students across our community.”
Juan has been excelling at EA this year and according to Drew Hale his recovery counselor, “Juan consistently brightens up the room with his positive attitude.” Juan is looking forward to graduation in a couple of years and after high school wants to be a high-end mechanic, or pursue his dream job: A driver in Formula 1 or on an F1 Pit Crew.