The road to high school graduation this year has been filled with extreme challenges and unexpected silver linings.
For a recent graduate in Palm Beach County, a series of circumstances went beyond pandemic-related stress. He had already spent several years finding ways to cope through unforeseen obstacles.
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Matthew Williamson says he was in middle school when his mom, Samantha Williamson, fell ill, lost her job and their home. And he said it was a lesson in perseverance.
鈥淢y mom and I [have] always been like a tag team together because without my mom 鈥� I'm a big mama's boy. I can admit that,鈥� said Williamson. 鈥淪o I know my mom was going to make it through no matter what.鈥�
Williamson says when his parents divorced, his sister took it hard. That led to several family issues that involved the Florida Department of Children and Families. Shortly after his mother lost her home, Williamson moved to New York to live with his father for a year until his mother and older sister found housing. The older sister eventually moved out and Williamson still goes back up for summer vacation.
He and his mother have been living at The Lord's Place Family Campus in West Palm Beach for about five years now. The nonprofit has two separate to help struggling, homeless families become independent.
The 19-year-old says since his mother has a lot of different medical issues, she was especially vulnerable to COVID-19. So even though he could have gone to school in person, he decided to do his classes remotely.
鈥淒oing it from home is really difficult because when you鈥檙e at home you have more distractions,鈥� said Williamson. 鈥淧lus, when you鈥檙e at home, you鈥檙e not used to waking up in the morning for school. That鈥檚 a reason you鈥檇 be late to class. It鈥檚 very stressful.鈥�
During school, he鈥檇 also been stressed out by the thought of losing his mom and says he went through bouts of depression. And, right now, Williamson's mother is raising his sister鈥檚 18-month-old daughter and 6-month-old son. That鈥檚 another layer of stress 鈥� another unforeseen obstacle.
There are recurring moments that helped him relieve that depression: constantly bonding with his niece and nephew, playing with pets Chi Chi and Namekian 鈥� a dwarf rabbit and guinea pig, respectively, named after "Dragon Ball Z" characters 鈥� and using meditation as a way to stimulate relaxation and problem-solving skills.
鈥淚n my bedroom, I just turn on some peaceful music and just sit on the floor and close my eyes and think how I can benefit from it,鈥� Williamson said. 鈥淟et鈥檚 say I have a problem, I always think of a different way of how to do it while I鈥檓 meditating.鈥�
Williamson learned how to meditate through his weekly therapy sessions. His high school worked with the Lord鈥檚 Place to get him a therapist. And as part of the Lord鈥檚 Place youth services program, Williamson says he also learned about other stress-relieving activities like golf and equestrian therapy.
And he said 鈥渨ith COVID, everything was much stressful,鈥� and he didn鈥檛 feel he could 鈥渃atch a break with school,鈥� especially during a time when he couldn鈥檛 hang out with friends. It sparked a sense of paranoia amid unrelenting uncertainty.
Interacting with the horses during an equestrian therapy trip helped him take a break from those thoughts. He said the experience was 鈥渙ne of the best feelings there was in life.鈥�
鈥淚t was complete happiness, you鈥檙e feeling calm, not freaking out, like, 鈥極h my god, am I gonna get sick,鈥� It was one of best things ever," Williamson said.
'One Big Team'
And part of that stress relief also involves playing basketball with his friends.
鈥淏asketball鈥檚 almost like school. You鈥檙e always going to have your ups and downs. Even like basketball, you don't make a shot. Ok. In school, it's like a test. You don't pass the test. OK, guess what? It's almost like you missed the hoop in basketball,鈥� said Williamson. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also like seeing [what] you鈥檙e good at and what things you aren鈥檛 good at. So that鈥檚 my way of thinking about life as well, relating to basketball.鈥�
Williamson says like any team sport, everyone has a position to play in his life. This support group is 鈥渙ne big team.鈥�
鈥淓verything they do, it always impacts somebody. My dad, he always impacts my life. My mom impacts my life. They鈥檙e part of my team. The Lord's Place impacts my life, so that's another part of my team,鈥� said Williamson. 鈥淎nd we all work together.鈥�
Fred Weitz has been the youth education coordinator at The Lord鈥檚 Place for the past three years. He鈥檚 been an educator for 25 years.
鈥淲e do as much cheerleading for the kids as possible because they need that to succeed in school,鈥� Weitz said.
Weitz often works alongside Emily Sardinha, the youth education advocate at The Lord's Place, to establish and sustain rapport with the students. Educators at Lord鈥檚 Place say young people often yearn for tutoring help, career planning, and an all-around emotional support system.
At Lord鈥檚 Place, up to 50 children, from kindergarten through 12th grade, get off their school bus and meet the youth services team at the youth center at various times.
鈥淜ids have to feel a certain comfort level and until they kind of let their wall down a little bit," said Weitz. 鈥淢atthew has always been very outgoing and very warm. And if you need help with anything [he'll say] 'Can I offer to help you?' And he's always been like that.鈥�
Four high school students who live in those housing units graduated in 2020 and attended college. This year, Weitz says, three more high school students graduated.
Williamson recently graduated from Inlet Grove High School in Riviera Beach. He鈥檚 going to Palm Beach State College and he wants to major in marine service technology.
He says he learned about boating from his father.
鈥淲hen I was younger, on the weekends, he鈥檇 take us on the boat. And ever since then, I loved boats because I just like being on the water, fixing them,鈥� said Williamson. 鈥淚t reminds me of when I was little and I enjoyed doing that so I鈥檇 rather do something I enjoy instead of doing something I don鈥檛 like.鈥�
The Lord's Place will help him get a laptop and other supplies for college. He says going through personal challenges and developing coping mechanisms has prepared him for his eventual goal of life as an entrepreneur.
鈥�I always wanted to open up my own workshop one day,鈥� Williamson said. 鈥淪o maybe one day my dream will come true.鈥�
