Michael's Story

On October 9th, 2005, my life changed.

That was the day I lost both of my biological parents. My three sisters and I decided to attend church with our grandparents that day; That’s where we were given the news of our parents’ passing.

After a long, arduous custody battle between our maternal and paternal families, my sisters and I permanently lived with our paternal grandparents. Although they did a wonderful job satisfying the needs of my sisters and I, as any boy growing up without a dad can attest to, I experienced some real hardships not having my father in my life.

At a young age, I decided that I would not allow myself to wallow in pity or self-doubt, and I vowed to make something of myself. I was determined to put myself in a position where if my sisters needed anything – although Dad wasn’t around – they had a brother who would always be there for them.

It’s that desire and responsibility to provide that led me to be the first person in my family to go to college. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree of Science in Computer Science with honors, and secured a highly-coveted position in a rotational program with Fortune 50 company FedEx. That same desire has fueled me to start a non-profit organization that presents opportunities to children who have lost one or both of their biological parents, just like me.

For more on the information on this foundation, check out our “Purpose” page.