Jacoryan’s joys include composing music and growing plants. He’s on track to earn an associate’s degree in that first passion thanks to the support he’s received through the Transition Services program at Methodist Children’s Home (MCH).
Although Transition Services is often utilized by MCH University of Texas-University Charter School graduates as they prepare to navigate adulthood, Jacoryan, or Jaco, as he’s known to friends, was already in college when the connection was made with MCH.
A 2022 graduate of Midway High School, Jacoryan said there was tension in his home in Hewitt, Texas, that resulted in him getting kicked out while taking classes at Waco-based McLennan Community College (MCC).
“When I got kicked out, I started with just a crate of clothes,” he said. “They weren’t really good clothes either. I didn’t have a home for a bit, but people I knew from church came and took me in for a year. But I couldn’t stay there forever, right?”
Feeling overwhelmed with stress, Jacoryan went to MCC’s Resources Department, which put him in touch with MCH.
Jacoryan became part of the MCH Independent Living Program (ILP) in December 2023. While in the program, Jacoryan has obtained full-time employment and learned new skills by attending Goodwill/ILP workshops, case manager Crystal Vela said.
“With the support of MCH, Jacoryan has been empowered to advocate for himself, learn new transferable skills, and, most of all, he was provided with a place to call home,” she said.
He lived more than a year at the Harry Meredith Home, one of two independent living homes on the Waco campus, and in August moved into an apartment at the MCH-owned Clay Commons, which he greatly enjoys and is proud to call his own, Vela added.
Jacoryan said the support provided by staff has been phenomenal.
“They helped me get back to my doctor,” he said. “They helped me find a job. They helped me get my birth certificate. They helped me get my Social Security. They helped me learn how to be independent.”
Jacoryan is working at a convenience store in Waco while continuing to take classes at McLennan Community College as he works toward an audio technology degree. He is on track to graduate in December.
Alyssa Billingsley, another case manager in Transition Services, said Jacoryan has utilized every resource and opportunity he was given.
“Jaco faced numerous unique challenges throughout his life that could have led him to give up, but he chose perseverance instead, defying the odds,” she said. “I am extremely excited for Jaco to graduate this year because he has worked incredibly hard to reach this milestone.”
Jacoryan is grateful to the MCH case managers who helped him find his footing.
Vela said Jacoryan doesn’t let anything define or limit him. “He channels his focus and creativity into his passion for music,” she said. “His determination to become a music composer and producer is unwavering, and he continues to work hard toward his goals every day.”
Jacoryan especially enjoys rock and video game music. He owns and plays instruments, including a didgeridoo (a wind instrument primarily associated with tribes in Australia), steel tongue drum, guitars, synthesizer, lyre harp and autoharp.
“Jaco is an extremely talented individual who can play multiple instruments, often self-taught, and takes it a step further by arranging his own beats to create music using audio technology,” Billingsley said.
He also finds joy in raising plants, including carnivorous ones, such as pitcher plants and sundews.
“I just like growing them,” Jacoryan explained. “It feels good to put in hard work. Sometimes things will happen and your plant will get sick and die, but it’s okay because you can try again. Don’t let that discourage you. You can always grow it again.”
Melvin Carter III, director of Transition Services, said Jacoryan is a great example of how persistence and effort lead to success.
“He’s a model guy,” Carter said. “He does everything right in a time and a period where many try to cut corners. Jaco has not cut any corners. He has put in his time.”
That perseverance served him well in getting hired at the convenience store.
“He was so persistent at getting a job,” Carter said. “He really stayed after it. He was turned down by a lot of people who didn’t know what they were getting. He’s a good inspiration not only to this program, but to a lot of guys his age.”
Jacoryan is proud of what he’s achieved so far.
“I feel like I’ve really come a long way,” he said, adding that he’s working to repair his relationship with his mother and two younger brothers.
Vela, his case manager, said Jacoryan is a pleasure to be around.
“Jacoryan is a very intelligent, funny, kind-hearted individual who makes everyone around him be a better person,” she said. “Jacoryan is excelling in our program and I am very proud of him.”
Realizing that life won’t always go smoothly, Jacoryan draws inspiration from his gardening and music hobbies.
“Things get hard sometimes, and sometimes you feel like it’s not gonna get better, but God has a plan for you and you’ll make it to the top,” he said. “Just keep growing. Keep rocking. Blossom. Play your melody.”
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