Owning Your Story: Wisdom from a Young Detroiter

(Olatunji is part of Lutheran Social Services' Supervised Independent Living program for teens leaving foster care. His story is published here with permission of TIME.com.) 
There are kids who survive a troubled upbringing only to create their own troubled future. Then there's Olatunji Bledsoe. The 18-year-old endured the heartache of family deaths, a financial scam and homelessness. But then he needed more: education, personal responsibility and a driver's license. Having proven his resilience, now he wants other young Detroiters to know they can do the same. And so he likes to share his remarkable story. Read more from this story that first appeared in TIME.com's Detroit blog.)