by Bish Curtin

In 1980, John David Hopkins, then age 12, was among the first four boys to move to Hill Country Youth Ranch when the second children’s residence opened in May of that year. The first residence had welcomed five girls a year earlier. Now, eighteen years and an extraordinary journey later, John David graduated from Schreiner College in Kerrville on May 17 of this year, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology.

Back in 1980, such an outcome was beyond the horizon of visible possibilities. Though possessed of an angelic smile, John David had a violent temper and did not adjust easily to his home at HCYR. As with all emotionally disturbed children, John’s problem was invisible and would erupt unpredictably, lending itself to no quick-fix treatments. Rather, John David required perseverance both on his part and on the part of those who worked with him.

"I remember tearing up Forbus cabin in a fit of rage," he recalled on a recent visit. "I threw potted plants against the walls and broke everything in sight, including the windows. I was angry at the world for being abused and then left without a family of my own to live with."

John was the victim of severe physical abuse which had resulted in injuries and traumas that ranged from minor to serious. Emotional and physical pain persisted after he came to live at the Youth Ranch.

"One day," John continues, "just about over night, I realized being mad and angry at the world wasn’t going to get me anywhere. I was the one who had to change. I’m just glad Gary and the staff at HCYR didn’t give up on me before I had a chance to change."

"What kept us going with John," recalls Ranch founder and Executive Director Gary Priour, "was his courage and strong motivation to figure out a better way to live. That, and the fact that he was really a loving and caring child between his outbursts."

In between the fits of rage there was another side to John David which didn’t take much to coax out into the open. He loved nature, exploring every inch of our valley. It is because of him that we have a network of hiking trails all over the Ranch. They were his idea, he proposed them to the staff, and he helped make them over many years of summer work, both as a resident and later as a summer employee. John David also enjoyed the farm-like atmosphere of those early days.

Recalls Priour, "In those first days, when we were smaller, I shared with the children the rural lifestyle, and that included teaching a young person to drive around the ranch well before the age of eligibility for a license. John David learned to drive an old pickup truck and a tractor, and he helped with plowing and planting, brush hauling and landscaping every year. About the worst that happened was the day he got stuck in a muddy creekbottom and wound up digging a hole chest-high with the whole truck. He came straight and told me, and we went to look at the truck. It had almost disappeared, and John David watched closely to see how I was going to handle my anger. Those were times of rich country experiences, and I think a lot of us miss them. What looks risky in the rearview mirror was actually a family learning life’s lessons by living them. The process was always to open up the day and examine it."

In February of 1981, John wrote this in the Corral: "I feel the Ranch is for kids like me. It helps us get involved with a lot of things like building, helping with the horses and other animals, and working with the adults on projects. I hope other kids come here to have their problems solved."

In 1985, at the age of 17, he wrote again in the Corral: "Since I moved here, I have made a lot of improvements. I was a case of child abuse and I couldn’t handle it when people brought up the subject. I have learned to handle it. I also had bad temper tantrums. But I am calmer and I control myself now. If it weren’t for the Ranch I wouldn’t be where I am now."

A former houseparent wrote in that same article about John David: "If I may predict, I would like to say I believe John David has everything needed for success. He is a big guy, not only in body, but in spirit and in the heart, where it counts, and he’s come so far."

John David recalls an event early in his stay at the Ranch that woke him to the importance of friendship and family. One of his roommates, Alvin Leonard, scored a touchdown for Ingram’s varsity team, but the team lost the game. "Afterwards," remembers John David, "Alvin was crying from disappointment about the defeat. I got in the van with him and told him how proud all of us from the Youth Ranch had been, watching him score and knowing he was one of us. That’s when I knew what family was — when Alvin responded and smiled after what I said."

John graduated from Ingram Tom Moore High School in 1987, and set his sights on graduating from college, a goal that was to elude him for 11 more years. Now at the age of 30, "J.D."— as we have long affectionately called him — has succeeded. Oh, it’s taken him a bit longer than some others, partly because of barriers he had to overcome inside, and also because he had to face the world’s challenges on his own. After the death of his beloved grandmother in the late 80s, John had no family but his Ranch family, and it was to them he would turn for advice in hard times. He quit college on two occasions to work full time and save his money. Today he owns his own home, and has become a gourmet chef. His cooking abilities put him through college.

Now that he’s finishing his last semester of college, his new goal is to get his Masters degree in psychology at the University of Colorado. "Because they have a wonderful department," he says, "and because it’s near the mountains where we used to go on our summer trips at the Ranch. And I don’t care if it takes me another ten years to get my Masters, I’m going to do it."

No doubt he will. Perseverance is John David’s other middle name. Currently John is working for the YO Adventure Camp near Mountain Home. He’s getting his feet wet working with children.

"I teach the ropes course and climbing tower," he said. "Also, I facilitate group challenge elements, which has to do with teaching teamwork and trust. It’s about overcoming fears."

And when he’s not on the ropes course, he’s out among the trees — making trails.

"I’m enjoying my life, and I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been."

His advice to our current residents is simple. "Listen, learn and push yourself beyond the limits that are in your mind. Much more is possible than you think.