Emry

“If I knew then what I know now, my life would be so different,” stated Emery. Although he is only 20-years old, Emery has grown up way beyond his years. As a single parent, Emery’s mom tried to raise him to the best of her ability by encouraging him to go to school and stay out of trouble. Unfortunately, Emery chose a different route. At age 14, he began drinking. He soon found himself dealing drugs instead of attending school. He dropped out of high school at age 16.

After years of “running the streets,” he attended Job Corps to get a trade in carpentry. After receiving his certification, he was unable to find a job. He went back to what he knew best—street life. Soon he started getting very depressed and angry. He couldn’t cope, which drove him to start drinking heavily. His Mom couldn’t deal with his behavior anymore and told him to leave.

“Just before my 19th birthday God opened my eyes,” he said. “I realized my nieces and nephews were looking up to me as their role model and I needed to be a good example.”
He came to Covenant House to turn his life around. Immediately, he began working towards getting his General Equivalency Diploma (GED). He’s currently job searching and plans to start saving his money. Once he receives his diploma, his goal is to apply for college and along the way get certified to cut hair. Eventually, he would like to own his own barber shop. In his spare time he plays basketball, something he wishes he would have pursued if he had made better choices. He is also rebuilding his relationship with his mom.

Emery is grateful for all of the staff at Covenant House. “They motivate me to keep going, they give good advice and support,” he said. Emery credits Carlos Pagan, Manager of the Crisis Center for his newfound life. “Carlos is #1, he’s the reason I’m putting all my effort in being here and getting my life together.”

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