DETROIT, Mich. — He’s an athlete, a car guy, and a social kid. 15-year-old DaShawn – who is currently in foster care awaiting adoption – likes being active and involved.
“I'm very outgoing and funny. I'm athletic. I like to play sports. Wrestling and football are my favorite sports,” he said.
“It's important for me to exercise because it helps me cope with stress and because it's kind of a thing that I've always used to get out of like a bad day or a negative energy,” DaShawn explained. “My favorite lift's probably a bench. I can bench like I think it's 210. I like squatting too. I squat 215.”
He also enjoys working with his hands.
“I like doing a lot of physical work. I like working on cars,” he said .
He also likes listening to music and writing his own compositions.
Being social also comes naturally to DaShawn.
“I work well with other people. I like talking to people. I like to enjoy time with other people because it makes you feel comfortable, I guess,” he explained.
Going to school is one of his favorite things – especially when he’s in certain classes like history, math, and science.
“I think that I'm really smart, so math's probably one of my favorite things to do because I like figuring out problems, solving problems,” he said.
When he grows up, DaShawn would like a job where he can help other people.
“What I want to do when I get older is help kids like me, because of my situation. I want to go to college for social work, psychology, and criminal justice, so I can help kids in juvenile detention centers, kids in foster care, and then kids in school, and kids that kind of don't have a structure in their life,” said DaShawn.
He hopes to be adopted by a loving family in Michigan soon.
“I envision my family with siblings, dogs, and pet cats. I like animals. I want a really active family. A family that is involved in a lot of things outside of the home and in the home, too,” he said.
“Adoption means to me like finding a forever home or -- especially with my age -- it's kind of a thing that I find kind of hard to do. Getting adopted would be harder for me, but I feel like if you're at my age and you can get adopted, it's a really good thing,” said DaShawn.
DaShawn has been in foster care waiting to be adopted since April of 2021.
If you’d like to learn more about DaShawn, click here.
If you’d like to adopt DaShawn, call the Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange at (800)589-6273.
If you’re not able to adopt, you can still help!
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