Like Her Past Doesn’t Matter: Hailee’s Story
She comes to The SHACK every weekend to get her mind off things and connect with friends and mentors who care about her.
SHACK Program Director Jenn Patrick is a favorite.
“She treats me like I’m her own daughter,” Hailee Boson says. “Jenn treats me like she cares and it doesn’t matter what my past is or what my parent’s past is.”
For Hailee, that’s a big deal.
Because, honestly, there’s a lot in her past and she’s felt the sting when her past does matter to people, when they assume she’ll make the same mistakes her parents did.
“That’s a 100-percent, never-gonna-happen,” Hailee says about that assumption.
Her resolve is so serious, it juxtaposes with her cheery yellow T-shirt, but she makes her point clear: For this 9th grader, there will be no drugs, no alcohol. There will be no self-destructive behavior and no self-hatred.
Hailee has learned too much at The SHACK, and appreciates the people there too much, to mess up a good thing.
“When I hang out at The SHACK, I feel like I can have fun without [drugs and alcohol], like I do not need that in my life. I know there’s people who care about me here, that if I did do that they’d be so devastated and disappointed.”
It’s that kind of acceptance and accountability students like Hailee need — and find — at The SHACK. It’s that kind of acceptance and accountability that helps students look beyond the pressures of life and school to a brighter horizon.
Hard to Talk About
The first 12 years of Hailee’s life weren’t so bright. She calls them “drama, drama, drama,” with an eye roll for extra effect. That makes it a little lighter and a little easier to talk about. Even so, Hailee’s story comes out with a big exhale.
“A lot of stuff has happened in my family — like, a lot — that’s very hard to talk about,” Hailee says.
It’s hard to talk about being born to a mother who was addicted to drugs, about being abused by her father, about her mom’s suicide attempt that resulted in Hailee and her sister being taken away for a couple years.
It’s hard to talk about the apartment that lit on fire when she was 3, the moves from house to house, the time 11 family members lived in one 2-bedroom apartment, the way drugs and alcohol are still impacting her extended family.
But, there is good, too.
It’s not hard to talk about her mom getting clean and sober and putting her family back together when Hailee was a preschooler. It’s not hard to talk about her step-dad who works night shifts so he can homeschool Hailee during the day — a learning environment that feels safe to her.
Most definitely, it’s downright easy to talk about The SHACK and its impact on Hailee’s life.
Worth the Hard Work
When Hailee was in 5th grade, she couldn’t wait to go to The SHACK.
“Seeing all my friends go there, and then walk out with a happy smile on their face, just made me want to come,” Hailee says.
She wasn’t disappointed. She loved it — so much that she would rake her parent’s yard to earn $2 to buy a pop and play some games at The SHACK each week. That hour of fun and connection in a place she felt so safe began to impact her in ways she didn’t realize until years later.
“When I was 11 or 12, I hated my body, I hated the way I looked, I hated myself,” Hailee says. “Then I turned 13 and started realizing I am perfect the way I am.”
She credits The SHACK with that transformation in her self-esteem and her sense of worth — and says all the hard work to get there was always worth it, even if her arms were sore from raking the yard.
“I go here when I’m depressed, when I’m sad, and it doesn’t matter; this place has always cheered me up.”
Hailee knows her life will continue to be filled with ups and downs — just like anyone’s. But she’s glad to know she has a safe space and safe people to help her along the way.
With her sights set on attending college and becoming a teacher, she hopes that maybe she can someday help students just like her who need to know someone cares and someone accepts them just as they are, no matter their past.