Allan’s Story
Persevering into a Bright Future
Finishing high school is an unforgettable time for all young adults. From prom to graduation to preparing for the next chapter in their lives, these events are a rite of passage. But what happens when all of these experiences are suddenly taken away amid the outbreak of an unprecedented national pandemic? Young people are forced to show resilience as they find alternative ways to overcome the obstacles placed in their path. Allan, age 18, is all too familiar with finding ways to persist through life’s challenges.
Allan arrived at Covenant House Missouri at the beginning of 2019 after his immediate family members no longer had the means to house him. Upon moving into Covenant House, Allan valued the continuous support and resources that were provided while allowing him the freedom to make his own decisions and learn to live independently as a young adult. He was eager to continue pursuing his academic goals regardless of what he had been through. As Allan explained, “A lot of people can despair in this type of situation but this is a place where you can take control of what ultimately happens to you”.
As our region implemented shelter in place order at the end of March, Allan and his fellow classmates shifted to virtual classrooms. He was able to access his coursework directly from his apartment in the Transitional Living Program. He had access to a computer, Wi-Fi and a comfortable environment to complete his assignments. He did not dwell on the canceled social events. Instead, he was appreciative to be able to take his Advanced Placement (AP) test remotely and loved watching the national commencement speech given by former president Barack Obama.
The online setup was also a seamless transition for working on his greatest passion, computer science. As a member of the Technology Student Association, Allan is fascinated by the opportunity to use artificial intelligence to improve medical procedures and to develop self-driving cars to prevent accidents. He also took advanced mathematics courses throughout his high school career despite having to move from the homes of multiple family members and other temporary shelters before his arrival at Covenant House.
Allan continued to fearlessly pursue his passion as he researched options to obtain his Bachelor’s degree in computer science. When he came across the Make School, a program that offers students the chance to study computer science through a debt-free, pay-as-you-earn tuition model and living expense support, he knew it was the right program for him. The program’s mission is to ensure that every student gains the abilities needed to succeed in reaching their goals and aspirations in life regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds.
With the support of the Covenant House staff, Allan was able to obtain the necessary resources to move to San Francisco, California and find housing until the program begins this fall. Instead of being nervous to begin his new chapter in life, Allan is looking forward to a fresh start and plans to use his resourcefulness to navigate a new city, public transportation and any other resources he may need in order to thrive.
As for all Covenant House staff, they will miss seeing Allan around the building, but are incredibly proud of everything he has accomplished. Staff member Crystal shared, “It has been an honor being Allan’s Case Manager for nearly a year now. I’ve watched Allan grow into an extremely intellectual young man and work hard to instill life skills to ensure his success. He’s quirky, a natural born leader, prefers to work hard on tasks independently and completes every endeavor that he sets his mind to. I can’t wait to see what this ‘Future Computer Engineer’ accomplishes in the near future.”
He may not have had the chance to walk across the stage, flip his tassel and take the classic graduation photo, but Allan was able to experience his own once in a life time memory, the opportunity to re-build and pave his way into a bright future with the help of his Covenant House family.
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