Joshua Mill (on the left) is living
proof of the difference a good and stable home environment can have on people, particularly the young.

When he lived with his mother she let him do pretty much anything he wanted, not showing any concern over whether
he did his homework or even went to school, despite him serving in-school suspension for truancy. As a high school freshman he was staring down the barrel of several more lost years.

Then one day his life dramatically changed, albeit in a bittersweet way. His mother, a seemingly inveterate drug user, was arrested on drug charges. In response his best friend’s parents took him in and became his legal guardians, giving him the structure at home that he had been lacking for so long. While he struggled at first with having to do his homework and chores, as well as attend all classes, it started to pay off.

Things also improved on the academic front after he sat down with school administrators and realised that if he didn’t change he wouldn’t graduate. With their guidance and through extracurricular studies and activities he gradually caught up with the academic program. He has just graduated from high school.