MIDLAND, Texas —
When young people age out of foster care or end up homeless, where do they go?
One choice they have is to go to the Basin Dream Center (BDC).
"[The BDC's] age group that we work with is 17 to 26 years old," said Tina Gillihan, founder and CEO of BDC. "We've learned statistically that if we can stabilize them through nurturing them in a family atmosphere, the success rate is much higher.”
One of the young people that the center has been helping in a transitional home is Ro, who asked NewsWest 9 to identify him by that name.
Ro once upon a time slept on the street and used to hang out with the wrong crowd. However, after joining up with the BDC, all of that went in the past.
“It really was a blessing. It all happened so fast. Like I kept going with my goals, kept staying consistent. Like I had to sacrifice a lot. I stopped smoking, I stopped hanging out with random people and I really got to my goals," Ro said. "Got my electrician license. Now I’m going to start my job, I'm very happy about that. Got me a car that’s like brand new. It looks very nice, I'm very proud of myself.”
Gillihan said Ro was dedicated to change his life and put in the effort since day one.
“Ro has always been a very kind and tender and just unique soul. He has always been motivated to do better for himself, and he always took, has and still does take great direction from us. He wants to learn everything that he can learn,” said Gillihan.
Ro said even after he finishes the program at BDC, he plans to turn around and work with them to help other teens and young adults going through what he did.
However, all of the hard work that Ro has put in to getting to where he is now, and everything he does after, is not just for him. Ro said it is also for the most important person in his life, his one-year-old daughter.
“She makes me wake up every morning and just want to go get it. I get up early. Never late, there on time just so I can make sure that I got this," Ro said. "I would never want her to go through what I went through.”