Success Stories Jeffrey Knight

A Remarkable Journey Fit for the Big Screen

“From Riker’s Island inmate to Valedictorian.” Sounds like something you would see in the movies. But for Jeffrey Knight it is absolutely real.

Jeffrey entered the foster care system at age six. He spent the next ten years moving from group home to group home making friends with tough older guys and getting caught up in a dangerous life, a life that eventually landed him in prison. After serving a sentence at Riker’s, he was sent to The Children’s Village where his life took a dramatic turn for the better.

Living in a specialized program for older teens without family resources, Jeffrey found the one thing he had been missing during his first ten years in foster care—relationships with people who cared about him. “I have to thank Children’s Village because my life really turned around because of them.”

That dramatic turn he mentioned not only kept him in school and out of trouble, it motivated him to reach heights he had only dreamed of. While working part-time, Jeffrey did so well in school that he became the Valedictorian of his class. Jeffrey is now living independently and, with one semester of college under his belt, is planning a career.

To see a short video about Jeffrey’s journey, visit our Video Gallery at http://childrensvillage.org/videos