Meet “Jeremy”

This spring, as he neared the end of his senior year of high school, “Jeremy” was forced to make an unbearable choice: homelessness or suicide. Fortunately, he chose homelessness and quickly confided in a school staff member who found him a hotel room within days.

This resilient 18-year-old will begin his freshman year at Sacramento State this month, and we are proud to have played a small role in his journey from foster care to college student.

After enduring physical abuse from his father for the first eight years of his life, Jeremy continued to experience emotional abuse from his mom and instability until he was placed in foster care at age 16. In fall 2024, Jeremy’s child protective services case closed, and he decided to move back home to mend his relationship with his mom. He was miserable. By early 2025, he began thinking about how he could end his life. 

“I had a plan and was throwing away my belongings,” Jeremy said. “My brain thought my days were numbered. If I had continued to stay there, I don’t know how long I could have mentally withstood it. Somehow, I ended up on the other side.” 

By March, he decided to leave and live on the streets. 

“When I told someone from the school that I was homeless, they were very fast in finding me a place,” Jeremy said. “I kept jumping from hotel to hotel, all funded by my school district, and eventually I moved into an apartment. The school and local housing agencies were really good to me.”

Jeremy became an unaccompanied minor, and in May, he moved into an empty room in an apartment with a short-term lease until he leaves for Sacramento State at the end of this month. Thanks to our partner EA Family Services, Jeremy was connected to our program. 

“I was sharing an apartment with two UC Davis students and didn’t want to ask them for stuff, but I of course had nothing,” he said.

“Make It Happen was a dream come true. I was still in the survival phase of making sure I had food, water and shelter, and they helped me get past that. I don’t know if I would have even passed my second semester without them.”

Jeremy said he felt luxurious at first having his own toaster, and he discovered that he really enjoys cooking. 

“It’s a much cheaper alternative to eating out, and after living off fast food for so long, I realized my money was draining and the food wasn’t nutritionally satisfying,” he said. 

He also realized how often he would eat throughout the day out of fear that he would not be able to find food. With the kitchen items he received from Make It Happen, he began cooking regularly and no longer felt the need to eat every hour, so he could concentrate better on his classes. Jeremy has enjoyed living independently and realizing how capable he is. He also said becoming self-sufficient has helped him open up more socially. 

“When you’re living in a hostile environment, it’s very difficult to connect with others,” he said. “When you go home, half of your day is spent with people in a very damaging relationship. All the chaos and turmoil has made me painfully self-aware and mature for my age, but I had to reach out and be my own advocate.”

Jeremy credits his foster parents and local companies and nonprofits for helping him mentally, emotionally and financially. He now is excited to join the Sacramento State Guardian Scholars program, which provides students who have experienced foster care with resources to succeed in college.

“I was planning to commit to a UC school, but with everything that happened in the last year, I decided Sacramento State was a better fit, especially with how supportive they are of former foster youth,” he said. “I love to study and can still get everything I need there while recovering and processing everything that has happened. It’s taken 18 years to finally get to a vantage point where I can do that.”

Jeremy plans to study computer science and apply his work to helping others. He is working with his academic advisor at Sacramento State to pursue a minor in psychology. 

“I’ve always wanted to find some kind of work that helps other people for good,” he said. “My main goal in life is to help others.” 

Despite his own drive to help people, Jeremy said he still was shocked at how understanding and helpful the volunteers and staff were at Make It Happen. He said most people in his position naturally shy away from help and wonder what the catch is. But he wants to encourage other transition age youth reach out. 

“Make It Happen really wants to help people,” Jeremy said. “That’s their joy. It really shifts your perspective on life. Despite all the messiness I’ve seen, it really shows you humanity is very much still willing to help other people. It felt like that act of philanthropy showed me parts of the world that aren’t so bad. When I came to pick out everything, they came to me with kind eyes and open arms and said go nuts. I will never forget that.”

He said he gets emotional thinking about where he is now after all he has endured.

“It’s finally over, and I can control my own path and where I want to go from here,” Jeremy said. “Those plans of suicide have been completely shut down and canceled, and Make It Happen was one of the contributors to that. I’m now at a point where I’m excited to see what the world holds.”