At the tender age of three years old, Bryndon was molested, and he believes this incident may be what led to his same sex attraction. He recalls fearing himself as a child because of his sexuality and being bullied in response. This caused him to self-isolate by eating alone, sitting in corners during class, and playing by himself during recess. When he decided to finally come out to his family, he was rejected by his father, and they continue to have estranged relationship to this day.
These years of bullying and rejection brought Bryndon to the low place he was in when he joined Found Village. He was flunking his classes and ready to give up in school, community, and on himself; and he was hesitant to trust that this experience would be any different. Because of dangerous decisions he was making, his mother was desperate for help; and thankfully, Bryndon soon felt safe enough to let his walls down with the help of his Found Village coach who welcomed him into our community.
Bryndon is now a leader amongst his peers and is working towards achieving his greatest goals. We were able to provide him with the assistance he needed to graduate last year and thrive as a competitive majorette dancer. His coach, Kyle, has encouraged him to further pursue his interest in animals and take steps towards his goal of becoming veterinarian tech. He even enrolled an equine class, and he is excelling here and learning to believe in himself more each day!
In his own words, “Found Village has helped me build my self-confidence in order to pursue my dreams.” This directly aligns with our mission to help young people from hard places reach their full potential. Bryndon’s story is a key example of how with the strength of the various members in this Village, our mission is upheld!
When asked to give advice to someone joining the community, Bryndon affirms that, “You should be yourself and make good decisions. You are safe to make big moves here so don’t give up!” It is with great privilege that we get to share stories like Bryndon’s–he has done the work to see his dreams come to pass and we are happily along for the ride!