A moment of realization that “he is the only one who he can truly count on”, helped to turn the entire life of Chris Atoki. The journey from being homeless for 4 years and living in his car to buying a house.
It is unusual that Chris Atoki, who didn’t even have a dollar in his name a few years back, was now able to buy a house of his own. He was almost thinking of ending his life before having this moment of realization.
Rising From The Rock-Bottom
At 18, Chris Atoki had a very difficult schedule. He got up at 7 am and went to class till 3 pm. He would then take some rest and begin his 12-hour shift at 5 pm till 5 am the next day. He would then sleep and go to school at 7 am again.
He had to work harder than normal students to pay for his mother’s rent. One day his manager at work cut his hours, which initially made him very happy. But after 2 weeks his employer let him go for not working enough hours.
The only job he knew was filling trucks and he lost that. So with no income and no parental support, he felt more lost.
Even though he applied for many scholarships, still he was not able to afford school. After an argument with his mother, he even got kicked out of the house.
Now he was jobless and homeless. He tried to find a place but was not welcomed by anyone. He tried living on his grandmother’s couch or his girlfriend’s dorm but that too didn’t work out. So by chilling November, he was living in his rusty car.
Chris Realized That He Had Hit Rock-Bottom
Having a car as his only shelter, Chris realized that he had hit rock bottom. He was parked in front of a Walmart with only $0.83 in his pocket. He had no family, friends, or money. He felt like giving up and couldn’t sleep.
He hated everyone but most of all himself. He felt that his life didn’t matter and decided to give up his life. But then looking into the rearview mirror, he realized that he was the only person who he could truly count on. This moment of realization was when he found something to fight for.
Efforts To Sort Out His Life
Chris then went to the library to apply for any job that he could think of. He saved enough money doing odd jobs and was able to put a payment down and get another car. Then he finally got a stable job at Mattress Firm.
He was doing well and earned $30,000 annually. Even though he was climbing the ladder slowly but was still homeless. He then looked for a place and found a room for $550/month.
From Odd Jobs to Earning Almost Double
Chris applied to many schools and finally went with The Lambda School as it offered online courses with no down payment required. One could pay when they start earning a decent salary.
The only problem was that the courses were full-time and clashed with his shifts. Rather than giving up, he decided to contact Austen Alfred, the CEO of the school. Austen pushed Chris to pursue his education.
Chris kept through the challenges and things became smooth plus his son was born. Chris completed his schooling and became an assistant teacher. He wanted to guide 100s of students to achieve their goals.
Later Chris applied for a tech job in Philly where he received double his past salary. He was finally able to become a homeowner.
If the 24-year-old black man with tattoos can do it. Having a steady job. Owning a $350k home on 1.24 acres. You can also definitely do it.
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