Adan’s story of graduation and finding stability at HYC’s Hatcher Transitional Living program.

Two weeks ago, the Hatcher Transitional Living facility was filled with the sound of celebration—pizza boxes opening, laughter across tables, and youth wearing the kind of smiles that come after something hard-earned and deeply personal: a high school diploma.

Staff, board members, and peers gathered alongside graduates to mark a milestone years in the making. Among them were eight graduates from HYC’s Hatcher Transitional Living Program, part of a larger class of 157 HYC youth who earned their high school diplomas this year.

For many young people, graduation marks the end of high school. For youth who have experienced homelessness, housing instability, family conflict, or time in foster care, it can represent something even more significant: a turning point from simply getting through each day to beginning to imagine what comes next.

For Adan, that turning point came after years of wondering whether graduation would ever be possible. At 21, he earned his high school diploma after navigating years of housing instability and uncertainty.

“I thought I wasn’t going to be walking down that aisle,” Adan said.

Nearly a year ago, Adan arrived at Hatcher feeling quiet, unsure, and carrying more than people could see. He grew up in an unstable household and spent time in DCS care and group homes before aging out. When he tried reconnecting with biological family, he found the environment was still unsafe and more chaotic than before. For a time, he moved between relatives’ and coworkers’ homes. It wasn’t until his final year of high school that he was introduced to HYC.

At that point, he was balancing school, work, and the weight of years spent moving through instability—trying to stay focused on finishing high school while not fully believing graduation would ever happen.

But over time, something began to change.

Through consistent encouragement from supportive adults, guidance from a teacher who stood beside him through both academics and personal challenges, and motivation from his younger brother, Adan kept going.

Graduation became proof of something he had carried quietly for a long time: he was still moving forward, even when it didn’t feel possible.

Today, what stands out most is how Adan shows up for others. He doesn’t call himself a leader, but he has become someone others naturally lean on—welcoming new youth, leading house meetings, and stepping in when situations need calming. Not because it is expected of him, but because he understands what it feels like to be on the other side.

“Maybe it’s because I know what it feels like to be ignored or left behind,” Adan said. “If I can give out love, I will.”

Looking back, he reflects not just on how far he has come, but about the version of himself who first arrived at Hatcher:

“If I could talk to myself walking in that day, I’d say it’s okay to be scared and not know what’s going to happen. It’s okay to lose friends and family, you’ll find people who really care about you and love you, like HYC. Just keep swimming.”

“I’m glad I stayed,” he said of this time at Hatcher. “This place has given me so much.”

And then, quietly, the full weight of his journey landed in a few words:

“I didn’t have hope, and now I do.”

Adan is preparing to attend Phoenix College in the fall, while exploring future career paths, including military service. When asked what he hopes to build for himself over the next year, he paused, closed his eyes, and imagined it: a stable place to call home, continued growth, and travel to places like Japan—places he once only dreamed of seeing.

As Adan steps into what comes next, his story reflects what we see every day at HYC—that with the right support, young people can move from simply getting through each day to beginning to imagine what comes next. Thanks to the support of our community, more youth at HYC are getting that chance.

It’s graduation season. Behind every diploma is a young person
who kept going through uncertainty—and a next step that still needs support.

Your support helps youth like Adan move forward with stability, connection, and hope.