At the peak of his teen rebellion in high school, De’shawn Woolridge left home and lived out of his car for a while, until his life was transformed with the help of a nonprofit agency and its after-school programs.
Woolridge said he found direction in his life with the help of Success Through Self Academy, or STS, a nonprofit that provided after-school programs for inner-city youth in Pittsburg, California. He flourished in its multimedia program, while living temporarily in STS’ parking lot at its main location.