SUCCESS THROUGH SERVICE A Young Man’s Story of Overcoming Loss and Finding Success
About AJ
AJ’s story is a success story. AJ was born into a military family and from a very young age shared his father with the service. After already completing three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, AJ’s father set out on his last tour in Afghanistan with plans to retire and spend more time with his family. Unfortunately, AJ’s father lost his life in while on his last tour. Only 12 years old at the time and already facing failures and frustrations at school, AJ began to lose all confidence in himself and hope for the future.
When Tragedy Strikes
Diagnosed with ADHD at a young age, school was always a struggle for AJ. Having a parent actively serving in the military added an additional level of stress that many kids never have to deal with. AJ’s father’s death has a major impact on his academic performance and emotional well-being. At the end of AJ’s 7th grade year, the year after his father died, his mother was asked to come in for a meeting. “The teachers were not sure if they could help him the next year, because they felt they had tried everything,” says Stacy. He had failed all subjects. AJ felt stupid, not good enough, and was becoming more reclusive at school and beginning to act out at home. The school that he had attended since he was two years old felt that they had simply run out of ways to help him and were asking him not to return. AJ had already been through so much that another year of failure was not an option. In a desperate search for help, Stacy found SOAR.
“The teachers were not sure if they could help him the next year, because they felt they had tried everything”—AJ’s Mom A Life Changed
That summer, AJ received a partial scholarship and was able to attend SOAR’s NC Academic Discovery course. The experience was life changing! AJ was surrounded by people who understood the challenges he was facing and knew how to bring out his natural strengths and abilities. AJ’s confidence skyrocketed. His mother explained the changes that she was able to see in AJ, and his school agreed to let him return for his 8th grade year. With the transition to a high school coming the next year, AJ returned to SOAR the following summer. Although he did experience more growth and was excited to start a new school year, the new school and demanding class schedule quickly became overwhelming for AJ. By the time winter break came around, AJ was constantly stressed about forgetting something or falling behind. When the opportunity to attend the Academy at SOAR was presented, Stacy knew it was AJ’s chance to gain the skills he needed to be successful at school.
6.4 Million Children
in the United States are Diagnosed with ADHD Hope for the Future
Through the support of generous donors and foundations, AJ was able to attend the Academy at SOAR on a partial scholarship for the spring semester of his 9th grade year. He immediately formed relationships with his teacher and the Academy director. Both with a military background themselves, AJ saw them as father figures he sorely needed. AJ also began to excel academically. With teachers who finally understood the way he learned, AJ was able to make up for lost time and get back on track academically. AJ also further developed the confidence he needed to be the outgoing, successful, leader and friend that he always wanted to be. AJ is now a junior at his local public high school. He is getting all A’s in Honors Level classes and is a high ranking leader in his ROTC unit. AJ is also a volunteer fire fighter and is finishing up his Fire Fighter I/II certification classes, so that he can become fully certified on his 18th birthday. This summer he will be working full time at the US National Whitewater Center and has been invited to attend the Raft Guide School to be a guide this summer. He was recently accepted into the University of Maryland – Fire Protection Engineering summer program for rising high school seniors with hopes of attending the University full time in the fall of 2017 to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Engineering.
These incredible adventures do not come without a cost. For many military families, SOAR’s services are financially out of reach.
Visser, Susanna N. et al. “Trends in the Parent-Report of Health Care Provider Diagnosed and Medicated ADHD: United States, 2003—2011.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 53.1 (2014): 34–46.e2. PMC.
About SOAR
Founded in 1977, SOAR is a non-profit summer camp, boarding school, and gap year program for youth and young adults diagnosed with ADHD and other Learning Disabilities. Through incredible outdoor adventures, SOAR gives participants the opportunity to build friendships, develop life skills, and experience success. SOAR offers outdoor adventure programs throughout the United States in North Carolina, Florida, New York, Wyoming, and California, and internationally in Costa Rica, Belize, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Financial Burden to Military Families The incredible adventures that SOAR has to offer do not come without a cost. For many military families, SOAR’s programs are financially out of reach, but their children are in desperate need of these experiences. SOAR’s Military Scholarship Fund provides life changing SOAR adventures to military families at little or no cost. An endowment fund has been set up to provide up to $20,000 in scholarship assistance to military families each year. In order to do this, we are relying on the generosity and support of individual donors just like you to reach our goal of $500,000.
“My words are inadequate to tell you what a life changing experience SOAR was for AJ. I took to SOAR a depressed young boy and he came home a confident young man.”—AJ’s Mom
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