Since Kindergarten, David Underwood had been in and out of the foster care system. While his experience was generally positive, David’s life in foster care was rarely stable. In 2005, when David was a sophomore at Pittsburgh Oliver High School, a friend told him about Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild youth arts education program. Desiring a place where he could express himself, David decided to attend MCG Youth & Arts. After taking classes in all four art studios, David found his true calling. “Photography gave me a meaningful focus in the midst of the chaos around me,” David recalls.  

It wasn’t long before David’s focus on photography led him to consider furthering his education after high school. “I started to realize through photography that if you work for something, you have the ability to create something beautiful. MCG taught me that pretty quickly,” says David.

With encouragement from the teaching artists at MCG Youth & Arts and confidence built through field trips to various local colleges, David applied to the art education program at Edinboro University. “I hadn’t even thought of going to college until MCG,” recalls David. During his first year at college, David shifted his major. In 2012, he obtained his B.A. in Social Work with a minor in Sociology. After graduating, David took a position as a case worker for families involved in the foster care system. David says that “MCG taught me the importance of hope and, having been in the foster care system, now I want to give hope to those who need it most.”