Trinity Youth Says “Completing the Program Changed My Life”
26th of May 2017
Photography by Adrian Ramirez
Adrian Ramirez came from deep trauma and a broken family when he was placed into a residential treatment program at Trinity Youth Services. Every day at home was a struggle, drowning in “arguments, threats and everything in between,” Adrian described.
“I spent most of my time keeping busy with school and friends. I only came home to sleep and woke up the next morning to drive myself to school,” he said.
Despite the trauma in his life, Adrian was always a good student and wished more than anything to be able to focus on his schoolwork. In high school, he enjoyed English and has even written novels, which he hopes to one day publish. His favorite activity was getting involved with after school clubs and volunteering.
His single mother struggled to keep the pieces of the family together and tensions continued to build. From the age of 12, Adrian battled with Bipolar Disorder. “My family saw me as unstable and out of control. Truth is, I was. I went from a sweet little kid to a spawn from the ‘underworld’ without notice. My depression was the worst,” he said. During his “low phases,” Adrian experienced a negative interaction with a family member, which would later result in his placement at Trinity Youth Services.
Photography by Adrian Ramirez
Right away the staff at Trinity recognized that he was extremely goal oriented, motivated and driven. “He was very helpful in the dorm, doing extra chores, encouraging the other youth to participate in decorating and celebrating holidays,” his supervisor, Janet Sutton, said. “He actually started a tradition in the dorm for Secret Santa. I thought it was an excellent suggestion and is something we plan to keep doing.”
Adrian attributes his success in Trinity’s program to the staff. “They put in a group effort to get me through the program and I would get some great advice from them,” he said. “I always had someone to go to.”
“Completing the program changed my life,” Adrian said. “The main thing I learned from being at Trinity is to first of all, take advantage of the blessings and opportunities given to you and to be incredibly grateful for those opportunities.”
Adrian says he learned accountability and how to self-analyze to correct the behaviors he began in his childhood. “One of the challenges he faced was learning about himself, what he valued and where his morals were,” his supervisor said.
Photography by Adrian Ramirez
Four months ago, Adrian graduated from Trinity’s program just after his 19th birthday. He is currently in college studying physiology/biology and business administration. “He has some incredible goals for himself and was always a motivated student, who really paid attention to his academics,” his supervisor said.
Among Adrian’s many skills, he also has a love for photography. He began this interest in high school and is self-taught. “I got a camera one year for my birthday and I took it everywhere. Photography taught me patience, timing and appreciation for the smallest and sometimes the seemingly most insignificant things,” he said. He also taught himself how to use Photoshop and other software. Now a 4.0 GPA college student, he is taking photography courses and business classes to learn how to turn his hobby into an entrepreneurial venture.
However, his main focus of study is medicine. Adrian plans to transfer to a four-year university where he will discover how to develop this passion into a career. Perhaps it is the time he has spent looking after his grandmother, taking her to doctor appointments, which lead him to pursue an interest in the medical field. “I am still undecided in what particular field, but it will be in medical, perhaps become a specialty doctor,” he said.
Photography by Adrian Ramirez
Despite the unstable experiences of his past, with the help of Trinity Youth Services, he has learned how to cope and deal with the challenges he is presented and is more likely to take responsibility in a situation. He currently lives with his mom and grandmother and gladly takes the initiative to assist his family with household tasks like cooking and cleaning.
“I now spend my time doing school work, practicing my ukulele, working on my photography business plan, keeping healthy, going to the gym and spending time with friends and family,” he said.
Adrian believes “we are all dealt cards, some worse than others. It’s not about the cards. It’s about how you deal with them. A person’s greatest tool is the ability to learn from their experiences,” he said. “The only person standing between you and success is yourself.”
To learn more about Trinity Youth Services programs, call (800) 964-9811 or email info@trinityys.org.
Jenelle Rensch, Marketing and Promotions Specialist
Jenelle maintains a distinctive look and voice for Trinity Youth Services through our online presence, media and community outreach. Before joining the Trinity team in 2016, Jenelle worked in the newspaper/magazine industry for nearly a decade as a graphic designer, photographer, writer and editor. Jenelle earned a bachelor’s degree in visual communications at California State University Fullerton and has won several awards throughout her career including a few from the National Newspaper Association.
Tel: (909) 825-5588 | Email: jrensch@trinityys.org
