When Lindsey Johnson earned her master’s degree in biology from the University of Nebraska in 2022, she became the sixth former resident of Chicago’s Mercy Home for Boys and Girls ever to do so.
On Friday, Johnson, as well as 24 other current and former Mercy Home residents, were honored at a fundraiser celebrating the Mercy Home 2022 graduating class.
Several current and former Mercy residents spoke at the event, including Johnson, who delivered the graduate address.
To Johnson, the support Mercy provided exceeded her expectations on numerous occasions.
Johnson moved into a Mercy group home when she was 13 years old. After her arrival, Mercy transferred her to a more competitive school, but Johnson said she felt judged for living in a group home.
“I was angry about the direction my life took,” she said.
Johnson, who was a strong student even before moving into Mercy, said she planned to get transferred back into her old school by tanking her grades. When her report cards came back with C’s, Johnson said program leaders didn’t scold her. They didn’t transfer her.
Instead, they got Johnson a tutor.
Johnson went on to rattle off example after example of how Mercy helped set her up to achieve whatever she set out to do. Her descriptions felt like what one might expect from a parent or mentor.
When Johnson wanted to perform with her De La Salle High School cheerleading squad in London, her Mercy program leader organized a “Lindsey goes to London” plan, which helped raise funds for the trip.
Mercy moved Johnson into her dorm at Eastern Illinois University, and Johnson said the Mercy Scholars Team called her each week while she was there.
After graduation, Johnson wasn’t accepted into veterinary school. She talked about next steps with Mercy. Eventually, those next steps led to her earning a master’s degree in biology from the University of Nebraska.
Following the event, Johnson spoke more to WBBM’s Mai Martinez about advice she’d give to current Mercy Home residents.
“Don’t give up on yourself,” Johnson said. “If you’re struggling with something, don’t be afraid to ask for help, because there are resources out there for a lot of things that can help anybody succeed.”
She emphasized that achieving great things is always possible, even when your circumstances are frustrating.
“Even though you live in the group home, and things aren’t going a certain way, you think your life is the worst thing ever — there’s still a light at the end of the tunnel,” Johnson said. “You can still do so many great things as long as you try and do the right thing.”
The charity event raised tens of thousands of dollars for the Mercy Home.
Johnson currently works and lives in Denver, where she hopes to start her career with one of the state’s wildlife organizations.
WBBM Newsradio was a media sponsor of Friday’s Mercy Home for Boys and Girls Luncheon.
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