“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough; it turns denial into acceptance; chaos into order; confusion into clarity. Looking back, it has not always been easy. I had to learn to be true to myself and had to surround myself with people who could and would help me do it.”
A stunning young lady with long locks and a contagious smile, Akalya melted the attendees with her award acceptance speech. “At a young age, I began to make poor choices; choices that affected my day to day safety, my future, my family, and my self image. I had an “I Don’t Care” attitude and I hurt many people in the process, my Mom included. She tried correcting my behavior but nothing worked, so she placed me with Cherokee Estate to remove me from the environment she felt was holding me back.
I rebelled. I tried to challenge the staff there and I didn’t listen to any of their rules. I wanted to make my own. They continued to love me through it. I eventually learned that I wasn’t in charge and had to make up my mind to do something different. As I began to work on attitude and relationships, I worked harder in school and on my chores around the house. I was changing…for the better. Although I have had some ups and downs along the three-year road, my grades are good and I am on track for a bright future. I plan to stay at Cherokee, graduate high school, and attend college. I am so grateful for the Sheriffs who believed in a shared vision years ago and created the Youth Homes. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. Thank you Sheriffs for making your vision our reality. I have high expectations for myself now and am thankful for the amazing family and home who supports me in them.”