Hunter’s* mistakes didn’t have to be a life sentence.

Like every other teenager, Hunter was looking forward to the end of his senior year of high school. But one mistake had put Hunter in trouble with the courts and could change the course of his life.

Instead of going to juvenile detention, Hunter lived with his family through our home monitoring program. A KyUMH case manager, Terrence, was paired with Hunter to provide support.

“Hunter was really upset,” Terrence says. “He knew he had made a major mistake and was worried about how it was going to affect him in the future.” Having Terrence there helped Hunter take accountability for his future.

Through daily phone calls and frequent visits, Terrence and Hunter began to build a positive relationship. As Terrence got to know him, Hunter’s true personality emerged. Terrence says, “Every time I visited him, he was always polite, friendly and positive.” Hunter was a dedicated student, pulling his grades up to As and Bs with Terrence’s encouragement. Because of his hard work, Hunter graduated high school early!

Two months of hard work later, Hunter was released from the home monitoring program. He called Terrence to tell him some good news: he was accepted to a four-year college. Hunter hopes one day to work in the dental field.  

Hunter and his mother expressed their thanks to Terrence for all he had invested in him. “I am truly proud of his accomplishments,” Terrence says.

At KyUMH, we know that keeping youth out of juvenile detention is vital to their future success. Your support means youth like Hunter can move past their mistakes. Please give today!

*Hunter is a pseudonym. Photos used are representative.