Former Foster Child Wins Scholarship

James McIntyre's life got off to a tough start. As a kid, he and his siblings were taken from their parents by DCFS and sent to live with a foster family. There, they were physically, mentally, and sexually abused. After being removed from that home as well, James and his siblings bounced from foster homes to behavior centers and back. They were never adopted.

As a teen, James began modeling the abusive behavior he'd been subjected to. He was angry. Then James and siblings were transferred to the One Hope United CARE Program in Lake Villa, IL.

“When I first came to live at One Hope United, I had a very strong feeling that my life was about to change for the better – and it did.”

James discovered a passion for learning. He did well in school and became the first member of his family to graduate high school. Then he went on to study communications at Parkland Community College in Champaign, IL.

After graduating James moved back to Lake County, where he landed a job at a dental office and started volunteering at OHU. His time with OHU changed his life, again.

“They [OHU] really made an impact on me with my decision to run my own non-profit someday,” he recalls. “And I knew I would need an education to do that.”

This summer James won the Viretta Wisse Scholarship, an award that One Hope United created to help disadvantaged youth pursue opportunities in higher education. He'll use his scholarship to earn a certificate in non-profit management so that someday he can help other kids like him change their lives for the better.