If I were to describe my Take a Hike experience in one word it would be “transformation”. When I started at Take a Hike, I had a large amount of stress in my personal life. I had great difficulty getting up for school and I had spells of depression; I didn’t think I’d even finish high school. I didn’t have much guidance, choosing a bad group of people to hang out with, while leaving positive influences behind. I was getting into trouble with the police, which made my family even more stressed. I realized I was letting myself down and knew I had to do something, so I tried Take a Hike.

I was in the program for two years (2004-2006) and it opened up a new perspective and way of thinking every day. The program wasn’t easy, but the challenges presented at Take a Hike helped me mature and gain confidence. My grades improved a lot because I learned that if you push yourself, you can get the grades you want. When I graduated, I realized how far I had come through all my struggles, and I felt much satisfaction from my accomplishments. Since graduating, I have grown both inside and outside in so many ways. Take a Hike helped me realize what I was capable of and helped me reach my goals. Its now 2009, and I have a stable job, a good group of friends and coworkers who support me. I’m now ready to take my career to the next level.