Archer Van Loh’s journey to graduation has been marked with challenge after challenge.

Growing up in Sioux Falls, S.D., he was just three years old when his mother died of breast cancer. The loss sent Archer’s father into a tailspin of drugs and alcohol, eventually pushing Archer to run away from home in an attempt to avoid the foster care system. It didn’t work.

“I think it was the moment that I was transferred into the foster care system that I thought that my whole life would be over,” said Van Loh. “I didn’t really know what was gonna come next.”

The odds of ever graduating high school — and embarking on a successful life — felt stacked against him.

But Van Loh, now 18, walked June 5 with his fellow Ridgeview Class of 2024 graduates. He plans to head off to college in the fall to earn a degree.

His journey to get there has been nothing short of remarkable. The loss of Van Loh’s mother at such a young age left him with a toxic home life.

“(My father) turned to alcohol and substances and that made him very abusive,” he said. “It essentially transformed his mindset.”

Finding his way

During his eighth grade school year, he made the decision it would be best to leave home.

“I decided that I couldn’t live in that situation any longer,” he said. “I had decided to live with one of my mom’s sisters temporarily, I requested that guardianship be sent down to my mother’s family in the state of Oklahoma.”

That, too, wasn’t a great fit. For years, Archer moved between homes of family members, friends, and state custody. Some of the stops were tough, but some gave him support and consistency.

“I had lived with a few placements,” he said. “I ended up with a temporary placement that was very beneficial for me. They were great people and it was a very nice family I lived with.”

But in 2022, a cousin that had always tried to keep an eye out for him learned that Archer was in the South Dakota foster system.

Jeff Kaufman, who lived in Redmond, quickly reached out to the court system and requested legal guardianship over Archer.

Kaufman and his wife, Kimberley, said they didn’t want Archer to go through the trials of the foster system any longer.

“He is the product of a broken home, which in a lot of ways means he had to figure out how to raise himself,” said Kaufman. “He’s been able to, despite having to do that and move around, go from school to school.”

Van Loh somehow managed to stay in good academic standing.

“He’s an excellent student,” said Kaufman.

From a young age, music and performance kept him grounded. In Redmond, his singing abilities flourished.

Van Loh participated in the Oregon State Honor Choir both years at Ridgeview. He performed in multiple theatre productions. A member of the tenor bass choir, Van Loh was one of just ten students from Oregon accepted into the ACDA NorthWest Choir Conference in Spokane, Wash. He earned a starring role in Ridgeview’s production of “Mary Poppins.”

“I have made many friends and have formed lifelong connections with the members in these choirs,” he said. “Everyone has just been so supportive and a crucial part of both my academic and personal journeys.”

Earning financial support

Once Van Loh realized that a diploma was in reach, he started to think about his future.

He started applying to colleges, as well as for the Ford Family Foundation Opportunity Scholarship. That generous scholarship is given to students who demonstrate heavy financial needs or have had to deal with major life obstacles. It’s not easy to get — only 3 percent of students who apply each year secure funding.

Van Loh said the interview process was challenging, but he quickly found his footing.

“(At first) my voice was a bit shaky,” he said. “(But) I got more comfortable with the interviewers through the process. And that’s when a lot of my points regarding living situations and academic standing began to come out more and that’s when they noticed my confidence.”

Van Loh secured the bag — making it possible for him to attend Oregon State University. With the scholarship, he plans to study marine and wildlife biology and minor in music. He also hopes to work and save enough money to study abroad and travel while in college.