Derick, 50

"I am very proud of my son. He encourages ME. He made me a better man."

Derick became a single father when his son was only 6 months old and has never looked back. He credits his mother with helping to keep him stable and supporting him as he was a young man taking on the challenge of creating a life for his son and turning his own life around. He says his only son was the reason he returned to college. Seeing his son graduate high school, receiving his 4-year degree, his master's degree, and now as a PhD student, makes Derick think on the years gone by and the joy of the sacrifice of being a full-time parent.