18, 2014 Graduate, Sylvan Hills High School
―I remember the first day moving in.‖ Dante had
heard his dad calling homeless shelters, but he
hadn‘t known why his dad was calling. When his
dad picked him up after school and told him they
were moving into a shelter, Dante says, ―it was a
big shock to me.‖ Never having seen the inside
of a shelter, the 13-year-old didn‘t know what to
expect. ―I imagined blankets and pillows on the
floor with everyone stepping over them.‖
What he found here was not the image in his
head, but no matter how comfortable Our House
is, just knowing that you‘re homeless can be hard
to deal with. Dante says ―I remember not being
able to sleep that first night. I thought, this is
actually happening!‖
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While with us, Dante joined the Our Club afterschool program and summer program. What he
thinks about most now are the new values that
came while living in a single room with his whole
family. ―Family time is a big thing I didn‘t value
a lot. Now whenever I have a chance to be with
my family I try to take advantage of it.‖ Thinking
about the past five years overall, Dante says, ―I‘ve
been happier since my experience at Our House.‖
Since Our House, Dante has continued to be an
active high school student. He has always loved
to dance and often gave impressive performances
in the Our Club room. After moving to Sherwood,
Dante used his dance skill to join the school
cheerleading team, even though it wasn‘t always
acceptable to other students. He had ―to deal
with the rumors and trash-talk of being a male
cheerleader,‖ but he didn't let that keep him from