From Quiet to Confident: One Student’s Journey Through ARCH
When LaVon Dunnigan-Bradley, ARCH Manager at Outreach, first met one of the ARCH students, she barely spoke. She kept her eyes low and her guard high. She was in high school, doing her best to show up every day, but her world outside the classroom was full of instability. She had no stable housing, limited support, and too many adult decisions weighing on her young shoulders.
“She wouldn’t talk to anyone,” LaVon remembers. “She had built up this wall because life had taught her that letting people in wasn’t safe.”
But ARCH isn’t about fixing students. It’s about walking alongside them.
LaVon met with her consistently, week after week, in the school where she was already trying to make it. There were no big speeches or grand gestures - just showing up, asking questions, listening, and slowly earning her trust.
That’s the power of the ARCH program. It stands for Advocacy, Relationship, and Coaching in High Schools, and it exists to provide youth who are navigating housing insecurity with the steady, consistent support of a caring adult. ARCH coaches, like LaVon, help students create graduation plans, develop life skills, and build a vision for what’s next.
“I never told her what to do,” LaVon says. “I just kept showing up and reminding her that her voice matters.”
Over time, the student began to speak. First in one-on-one meetings, then in group coaching sessions. Eventually, she became a peer leader in the ARCH cohort, helping facilitate discussions and encouraging others to advocate for themselves too.
“She went from being silent to being the first to share,” LaVon said. “Now she’s preparing to start college.”
The transformation wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t about achieving some perfect outcome. It was about reclaiming confidence, voice, and agency. It was about being seen, known, and supported long enough to believe in herself again.
And that’s what Outreach celebrates every year at our ARCH Graduation Celebration.
A Different Kind of Graduation
On June 7, ARCH students from across Indianapolis will come together to mark a milestone that many of them never thought possible: high school graduation. But this isn’t just a ceremony. It’s a moment to celebrate their resilience, their goals, and the adults who walked with them.
These students have faced real hardship. Many have juggled classes while living in shelters, doubled up with relatives, or couch surfing with friends. And still, they showed up. Still, they did the work. Still, they dreamed about what’s next.
They’ve earned more than a diploma. They’ve earned dignity and a place to be celebrated.
Help Us Celebrate Their Next Chapter
Outreach will honor each graduate with a warm meal, a personal celebration, and a gift to help them take the next step. You can be part of that story.
Here’s how you can help:
Shop the Graduation Registry: Purchase gift cards, backpacks, or essentials through our Amazon wish list to support this year’s graduates.
Write a Card: Send a handwritten note of encouragement.
Email Katie Blodgett - Director of Donor Relations (kblodgett@outreachindiana.org) for a list of graduate names.
Please make your contribution by May 30 so we can include it in the June 7 event.
Every Step Matters
“Sometimes it just takes one person who shows up consistently,” LaVon says. “That’s how a young person starts believing they can keep going.”
You can be that person. You can remind a student they’re not walking alone.
Let’s give these graduates the celebration they deserve.