Structure and love puts teen on path to success

LSS foster parent Clara Williams and her foster son David Harrison.

Harrison, 18, is in a Lutheran Social Services foster home, where he has done a remarkable about-face. Before his current placement with his foster mother, Clara Williams, Harrison lived in a residential treatment center. Although Harrison was successfully discharged from the center, he said his experiences there were drastically different from those at his foster home.

“When I came to foster care it was totally different,” Harrison said. “You have more freedom; you’re able to go to a high school. It changed me because I’m active and I like to play sports. The residential treatment center didn’t offer team sports.”

Although Harrison made positive choices that led to his discharge from the center, it took the help of his foster mother, who he calls ‘Ms. Clara’, to change his attitude.

“When I first met David he was very disrespectful,” Williams said. “He was talking back and didn’t show any respect. But when we sat down and talked, and he told me he was in 16 different placements, I knew there was something wrong. So just giving him a lot of structure and love turned him around in about six months to a year.”

At Del Valle High School, Harrison was involved in track, basketball and football. Although he enjoyed playing sports, he decided to give them up for his true passion; the Air Force ROTC. 

Harrison was involved in ROTC before he was sent to the residential treatment center to address his emotional and behavioral problems. After his placement with Williams, his success really began to take off.

“I said I liked ROTC,” Harrison said, “so I’m going to use the skills that Ms. Clara taught me to get into the highest leadership position. Now I’m the Corps Commander and in charge of 126 cadets.”

Harrison attributes his academic success to Williams as well. Since his placement with her, he has gone from special education classes to consistently appearing on the A/B honor roll.

“She’s helped me a lot. Before I came here I was failing a lot,” Harrison said. “She pushes me to pass and she disciplines me if I don’t. She expects me to learn. I don’t go to school to play around. School is important.”

David said his future plans include graduating from high school, attending a community college, and graduating from a military academy. Williams said she is completely confident he will accomplish his goals.

“A done deal,” Ms. Clara said. “A done deal.”

LSS cares for nearly 900 children daily in its foster care program, including 180 children in residential treatment centers and up to 60 children at an emergency shelter. To learn more about LSS children’s services, Click Here.