Success Stories

To the Boys Town Scholarship Committee,

There are no words big enough to fully capture the amount of gratitude I feel. Receiving over $65,000 in scholarship support has been life changing, not just for me, but for my entire family. I am writing this letter as the first in my family to graduate from college, let alone with two degrees. That milestone would not have been remotely possible without the unwavering support of Boys Town.

Coming from a background shaped by poverty, addiction, and deep personal loss, including losing both my mother and stepfather, I often questioned if my dreams were too far out of reach. I worried maybe I would never be able to get past the things from my past. But Boys Town believed in me when the world felt like it didn’t. You gave me a home, hope, and the resources to grow into someone I never imagined I could be. I am incredibly humbled that out of so many youth who are just as driven to break generational cycles, you trusted me with this investment. That trust has fueled me every step of the way.

My time at Boys Town didn’t just help me survive—it taught me how to live, lead, and love myself and others. I take every opportunity I can to proudly share that I’m a Boys Town graduate. I carry that with me everywhere I go, because it's part of who I am.

Looking ahead, I plan to sit for the NCLEX in September, and I’m proud to share I’ve been projected at a 92% likelihood of passing on my first try. I graduate from Creighton University on August 8th, and I would love for anyone from Boys Town who is able to attend to be there—it would mean the world to me. After earning my RN license, I hope to gain experience in med-surg and emergency medicine to build my clinical skills and confidence. From there, my dream is to work in addiction and behavioral health, giving back to those whose stories mirror my own. I want to be the kind of nurse I needed growing up—compassionate, kind, and full of hope.

And someday in a few years, when I have found my feet as a nurse and a place to call home, I hope to return to Boys Town—not just to visit, but to work. It would be the greatest honor to serve the very place that once served me. I also dream of giving back to Boys Town in the way so many people once gave to me. I know you have given me things I could never fully repay, but when the time comes, I want to make a difference in a youth’s life—someone who, like me, just needs a chance to break the cycles they were born into.

Thank you, sincerely, for changing my life. There is truly no version of my story that ends like this without Boys Town. I will carry your generosity and belief in me forever.

With all my heart,

Hannah

I was living in a house with really no stability. Half the time we didn't really have like the running water and food and stuff we needed. So it was just a lot of not super great things. I'm running a household at 13 until I came to Boys Town. You know, it was a place I needed to go. I needed somewhere safe to be. And that was a place that was open and said that they'd be willing to take care of me and kept me safe during a time when other people couldn't.

Hannah was a little bit shy, kind of reserved, and didn't really want to put herself out there and just kind of stuck to herself a lot. Over time, though, like she really came out of her shell. We worked with her on like being a proper girl model, also on like helping build her peers up and not just worrying about herself only. She was a really nice addition to the family. So my family and teachers, they're just like my parents. They're always there. When I can call them, I text them.

They just, they always support me in everything I do. Being at Boys Town helped me to kind of open up a little bit. I was on the flags team. I was on the chess team. I was the lead in the play two years running. Hannah is without a doubt part of our family and our kids love her. They love when she calls and gets to, you know, talk to them.

And then when she visits and we get to see her, our kids are just like head over heels. I always wanted to come to Hastings College. I did a tour here when I was a freshman and I loved it. I thought it was so pretty. I'm studying nursing, so I'm in the three-in-one program. So three years here at Hastings College, one year at Creighton College of Nursing, and I'll get two degrees. I love it.

I mean, it's busy. I'm definitely working hard in my classes. We knew what she was capable of when she left here. And, but to see her just like take full charge of the that and like grab the bull by the horns and just like go after it has been just phenomenal. The Successful Futures program has been phenomenal and their extra layer of support. The fact that Boys Town has taken on this program has been awesome because we've seen a lot of real success with our kids because of that program. And so they make sure that nothing goes to the cracks.

I talked to Successful Futures. They're actually helping me get a car. Any questions I have about tuition, they're always helpful to answer. I really feel like we're seeing big, big changes in the outcomes of kids post-graduation with that. My big plan, I would love to go into psych nursing. That's where I work now as a CNA. I love doing it, but I'd like to just give back to an area that I had to utilize once in my life.

I mean, Boys Town means to me pretty much everything. I mean, they've gotten me through like the hardest things in my life. They've been there no matter what. Boys Town is amazing.