50 for 50: Gulliver Arias

"I grew up in the foster care system, moving from home to home while carrying a lot of trauma. School never felt safe. I often felt unheard and on my own. By the time I reached my teenage years, I knew I needed a fresh start—a place where I could breathe and rebuild.

That place was Voyages Prep, one of QCH’s transfer high schools. From the moment I arrived, it felt different. The staff asked real questions about how I was doing and what I needed. They wanted to understand me as a whole person. For the first time, I felt supported by adults who truly cared.

The entire environment at Voyages was built on encouragement, consistency, and understanding. Someone was always checking in or noticing when something felt off. Those small moments helped me release some of the weight I had been carrying for so long.

Voyages became home. I would get there early just to be in the building. I stayed after school because it felt safe and welcoming. For a young person who did not always feel wanted, that sense of belonging changed everything. I even joked that I wished I could stay an extra year, not because I wanted to delay graduating, but because I did not want to leave a place that helped me get grounded.

Voyages gave me an education. It also provided stability, connection, and the space to grow into myself.

Years later, when funding for Learning to Work programs [transfer schools and YABCs] was threatened, I came back to stand with the school that once stood with me. I joined rallies to support the #SaveLTW campaign because I knew how many young people needed the same opportunities and support that shaped my life.

Today, I am a field supervisor and fire protection manager leading a team of 19. I work to build people up and create the kind of supportive environment that once helped me stand on my own.

I am resilient. I am a leader. And the foundation for the person I am today began at Voyages Prep."

— Gulliver Arias