The duffel bag helping Georgia’s youth

ODBI co-founder Sam Bracken was a homeless teen in Las Vegas when he packed an orange duffel bag with his belongings and headed to Georgia Tech on a full-ride football scholarship. Bracken credits the mentorship he received from head coach Bill Curry and others with changing his life.

Credit: Bob Andres bandres@ajc.com

Credit: Bob Andres bandres@ajc.com

Bracken wrote a book about his experience. The lessons he learned helped launch a coaching program in partnership with the Georgia Department of Human Services to improve the education achievement rates of students in foster care. It was beginning of what is now the Orange Duffel Bag Initiative.

ODBI offers students trauma-informed counseling and other services to create a plan for their education and future success.

Ajanel was first awarded an ODBI scholarship in the fall of 2024.

Ajanel’s journey

Ajanel was arrested at the border, then lived in a shelter for about two months. She then moved in with her uncle, but left after nine months because of his abusive behavior.

“It was bad, but I feel like I believe in God, and I feel like God has everything planned,” Ajanel said. She then transitioned into Cherokee Estate, a youth home. When Ajanel arrived there, she hardly spoke any English.

“I could barely say hello, and I was so shy,” she said.

Although the process was frustrating, she began learning English little by little with the help of other girls and her house parent.

Ajanel also found comfort in running cross country and track in high school, particularly through her relationship with a school counselor, who also ran.

“We would talk about running, but also about my life and what I went through. So it did help me a lot,” she said. “That was my therapy.”

During her senior year of high school, Ajanel grappled with the difficulties of navigating the college application process while undocumented. She understood how expensive school was and knew that many scholarships required citizenship. Her group home director thought the ODBI could help her.

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

Ajanel is now participating in ODBI’s Coaching for College Completion program, where students receive one-on-one mentorship from coaches helping them reach their post-secondary goals. Session topics range from building leadership skills to identifying the career path that’s the best fit. One lesson she really benefited from was “Aligning your Talent and Education.”

She identified her interest in nursing at a young age, but found herself second-guessing if it was the right path. Conversations with her coach, Luis Castro, helped reaffirm her passion. “I feel like there is a lot of my people that doesn’t speak English, and they go to hospitals and they don’t know what to say and what to do ... I want to be able to help them and be there for my community as well,” she said.

Ajanel had her residency approved and she will apply for citizenship in a few years when she’s eligible. Her sister joined her about two years ago, and they share an apartment. She’s saving up money to visit her mother back in Guatemala, who she hasn’t seen in almost eight years.

‘It definitely did change my life’

Tytia Arnold, a 17-year-old Decatur native, discovered the ODBI from an email inviting students to sign up. One day, she was pulled into a meeting in her school’s media center with Mike Daly, the ODBI’s inaugural board chair and president.

Arnold joined the after-school program during the fall semester of her junior year at Monroe High School, attending group sessions twice a week.

During her first session, students were instructed to select a photo that reflects their life story. Arnold chose a roller coaster, symbolizing the complexity and instability of her childhood. Arnold dealt with financial insecurity during the majority of it and recalls moving about every six months.

From that reflective moment alone, Arnold knew the program would be a good fit for her. “It definitely did change my life, because I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do before I joined the program ... it was an eye-opener for me,” she said.

Credit: Courtesy

Credit: Courtesy

This summer, she’s working as an online personal shopper at Walmart. Arnold applies the lessons instilled by ODBI, such as the importance of self-advocacy and independence, in her everyday life.

“Put myself first in everything I do, and never depend on nobody,” she said. “Always speak up. Because if you hold it in, closed mouths don’t get fed.”

Beyond school and career preparation, the Orange Duffel Bag Initiative helped her grow emotionally in pivotal ways. “ (ODBI) told me that I actually have people who I can talk to. Like I have a voice for myself, and I can speak up,” she said.

Arnold also feels the support network the organization has provided will extend far beyond high school. She plans to enlist in the Air Force after graduating next spring, and is most interesting in pursuing a job in accounting or marketing.

“You have people you can talk to at Orange Duffel Bag, people who care about you. Even when I go to the Air Force, I’ll still have them,” she said.