Success Stories
A Special Bond: Twins and Boys Town
Hazakiah and Vivica grew up in a gritty Bronx neighborhood. The siblings were raised to resist the dangers of city life. But drugs, gangs and crime were a constant presence. When Hazakiah came to Boys Town for more stability, safety and opportunity, he was excited. But it also was bittersweet without his twin. He wanted Vivica to join him, and when she eventually did, the pair had a remarkable and memorable year.
Nicole: I have never seen anyone so excited to be here. He, from the day that I picked him up, is so full of just gratitude and appreciation for coming to Boys Town.
Hazakiah: I was really excited to come Boys Town, so when I got here, just even seeing the field house was more like a culture shock. I've never seen such a big school like a campus, especially when we pulled up to the house. I was like, "Whoa, this is the biggest house I've ever been in."
Hazakiah: If I didn't come to Boys Town, I feel like my grades would've tanked and I would've probably dropped out of school, not because it got too hard but because you lose interest when people don't have interest in you.
I think Boys Town works because it brings the leader out of certain people, not only just leader but it makes people wanna do good.
I'm a peer minister, I played football. And now the football season's over, I'm doing track right now, I wrestle in wrestling season. I'm a student council, I'm the mayor of Boys Town.
Hazakiah and Vivica: We're twins.
Interviewee 1: that is a really unique bond. So him being away from her for a year was really hard, and we do what we can to try to keep them connected, but they really wanted to spend their senior year together.
Hazakiah: I noticed, like, the benefits that have to do being here, and there's a lot to name, but I know definitely school is one of them. And even just...I know my sister is very smart, smarter than me. This was the perfect opportunity for me to help my sister, help her have an opportunity out here so I was just really trying to act upon it, get her out here as fast as possible.
This year, we had our 18th birthday together, so I feel like that was a thing I needed.
Roberto: Boys Town is unprecedented opportunities for our kids, being able to give them chances to do things in their life that they wouldn't otherwise be able to afford or have made available to them.
Vivica: I plan on going to Peru State College, to study psychology to become a therapists.
Hazakiah: I'm going to University of South Dakota, and I'm going there for marketing.
My parents always told me I was going to college, but it was really, like, something you couldn't see. But now that I'm in my senior year, like, I'm going to college, I'm going to have achieved it. So, if I wasn't here, I don't know if that would be. Just appreciating certain things, appreciating life, appreciating what I have in front of me, and appreciating my opportunities.
