WACO, Texas (KXXV) — A Waco student who once felt like giving up is now preparing to walk across the graduation stage.
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Da’Marion Veail will officially become a high school graduate in just a few weeks after overcoming years of instability, including time in the foster care system and jail.
“It’s unreal, for real, cause I didn't think I was going to be here,” Veail said. “Like if you told me last year – like 6... 5... 7 months ago – you're going to be graduating. I'm like, ‘Well, I'm not even walking in that building,’ you know, so it's like, ‘Dang, I'm here.’”
Veail said there was a time when he struggled to see a future for himself.
“I was on the point of giving up, you know. Like I was – I don't want to do it any more. Like, I felt like I was losing everything back to back to back,” he said.
Now, Veail said he is proud of how far he has come.
“What I used to be doing, and how I see myself now, I'm proud of that, for sure – how I changed my life around,” Veail said. “I hope my kids – I'm gonna tell them, ‘Hey, you know, I've been through it all. I've seen it all happen.’”
Veail credits The Cove, a Waco nonprofit that provides resources and support for teens experiencing homelessness, with helping him stay on track.
“Homelessness is a big word, and a lot of people kind of don't really understand. Their image is an older gentleman, with an alcohol problem, sleeping under the 18th Street bridge,” said Tim Packer, executive director of The Cove. “You know, that's often people's idea of what homelessness looks like, but actually homelessness really is about lacking stable, appropriate housing and experiencing a high level of mobility.”
As graduation approaches, Veail said he hopes his story encourages others who may be struggling.
“There's always more opportunities for somebody, you know, anybody,” Veail said. “You can do anything in this world. It's 2026."
Veail said he hopes to build a stable future for himself and his family.
“I just hope, you know, I got a family, you know, be a family man. I want a wife, kids, that white gate, nothing to worry about, you know. It's a simple life. I want a simple life,” he said.
According to the National Center for Homeless Education, 64% of youth experiencing homelessness graduate high school, compared to the national graduation rate of 86%.
