Reuben's Story

Reuben was orphaned as a child, bounced from home to home his entire childhood, and didn’t attend a consecutive year of school until he was a junior in high school.  The impact this had on his education was devastating and, it seemed to him, it predicted that he would never attend college. 

In fact he had little desire to do so.  At age 17, though, he was connected with a Treehouse coach, and his future took a decidedly different turn.  With Treehouse’s help Reuben entered a King County college and, even with a bumpy start, persevered.  “Despite the guidance of an amazingly passionate and involved Treehouse [coach]…., I struggled through my first year attending three separate colleges, and barely acquiring college credit; but I acquired college credit nonetheless.  Her hard work and guidance was not wasted, nor was the generosity of the company that employed her.”

Now, after “eight long years of part-time enrollment” Reuben has earned a Bachelors Degree in Christian Leadership from Colorado Christian University.  He tells us that there have been many amazing people who have influenced and assisted him over the years, but he feels “a special gratitude for the ones that started it all.  If I had not been connected with Treehouse, I would not have even tried to go to college.”

Reuben’s story is one of many that prove that educational intervention with foster youth makes the difference between reaching college dreams or continuing to live a life full of uncertainty and quite likely homelessness.   “I live as a breathing investment of all the generous people who came before me and chose to contribute to changing my life for the better, by supporting the numerous programs of the Treehouse organization.”

Reuben reports that “this degree is a milestone among many joys I have found to be uncommon to former foster care children.  At 27, I am successfully married to an incredible woman whom together with, we are raising three beautiful children…. and [I] am currently pursuing my Masters Degree….  These accomplishments are not listed to brag on myself, but rather to recognize the fruit of what such an important foundational root in education Treehouse provided me.  For this I will always be grateful.”