Orion’s Journey to Graduation

Orion Olsen
Kent, WA

My name is Orion Olsen, I am twenty years old, and I am transgender male. At the age of 4 years old, I was adopted out of the foster/child welfare system. Previous to that I had been in two other foster care placements, and my biological home.

I entered my senior year with a 4.0, halfway through that year I became homeless after coming out to my family about my gender identity and home became unsafe for me. Although I tried my hardest to graduate that year, I could no longer meet my daily needs of food, clothing, sleep, and hygiene. As a result, my attendance dropped so low that I was threatened with the Becca Bill, and my grades went from straight A’s to F’s. I would have reached out for help, but based on what I had seen other students go through, I did not feel that I could trust anyone for confidentiality or support and decided to drop out of high school.

Not long after, I found a shelter that was LGBTQ+ friendly that helped me meet my daily needs, and I enrolled myself into a new school, determined to graduate with a high school diploma. Because of this shelter and being able to tell my new school counselor my situation and being welcomed when I came out to them with my gender identity, I was able to graduate with the Class of 2018.