Hamilton Cottage

“I’m motivated to succeed and will do what’s necessary to make my life what it needs to be,” Trey announces. This high school senior uses his past to drive him to a better future.

Trey has a plan for his life. His past drives him to overcome the obstacles in his way.

Eighteen-year-old Trey came to Mount Dora Children’s Home this year because he wanted his senior year to memorable and successful. He knew he can never accomplish his goals if he stayed in his old neighborhood. “It pulls at you making it hard to succeed when so many voices are encouraging to just settle for what you’ve got and be happy,” he explains.

His past is filled with bad memories of absent parents, neglect, discouragement from family members, friends dying from overdoses and troubling relationships that caused him to doubt himself. “I was to the point where I felt all hope was gone. I thought, ‘What’s the point?’” he ponders. That’s until he met Steve, a student at Christian Home and Bible School. They became fast friends. Eventually, after a Bible study, Steve baptized Trey in a lake near his home.

Trey saw Mount Dora Children’s Home as a way of realizing his dreams and pursuing a promising life. “To dream is to live,” he says. He’s adjusting well to life at Mount Dora. Popular on campus, he’s doing well in school and in life. After graduation, Trey plans to attend college and pursue a degree in digital art. “In my eyes, this was the right move.”

“So many have supported me,” he admits. “I want to thank everyone who believes in me and helps this place. Without you, I wouldn’t have a chance for a better life.”

“I will be content when I have fulfilled my dreams and lived all I can,” he says.

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