Will believes that much of his current success is due to the Third Way Center staff who didn’t give up on him, no matter what happened or how many times he “screwed up.” He believes that the skills he acquired at Third Way Center have truly enabled him to become a successful and productive member of society.
Will’s Journey:
At age 12, Will began treatment because of his difficulties with peers and family. By the age of 17, he had failed in two treatment programs and made only minimal progress in a lock-down facility. When he was ready to leave this jail-like setting, he came to Third Way Center to learn independent living skills while receiving mental health treatment.
In our programs he learned how to identify and deal with triggers that lead to inappropriate behavior. A bright young man, he honed his school skills, developed job skills and learned how to cook for 16 people at once.
He attributes his school success to the teachers at JFA, our alternative high school. Although he struggled with various treatment issues, he enjoyed school and appreciated the individualized instruction he received here. He is now a Computer Science major at the Community College of Denver with a GPA of 3.5, as well as an IT intern at a local outdoor retailer. He currently lives in Boulder and dreams of transferring to CU in the fall to major in Computer Programming and minor in Japanese, a language he is teaching to himself.
Now, Will interacts appropriately with his peers and colleagues, is in a long-term, committed relationship, has family members he can turn to, and likes to hike and bike in his spare time.