Emmanuel Starts His Next Chapter

Emmanuel Palmer, a Baltimore City native, played field hockey, was a debate team member during the school day, and survived the foster care system at night.

He was never incarcerated, but his arrest record varied from assault to possession charges, stemming mainly from the stress of survival. At 18 years old, Emmanuel assumed custody of his four younger siblings. His siblings were also in foster care because his mom was in and out of incarceration, with his youngest sibling being born in prison.

When he came into the entry-level training program, Director of Education and Training, Janell Johnson asked what he knew, if anything, about cars. He replied, “… how to steal them. But I don’t want to know that anymore.”

Dependable, dedicated, and committed to change, he performed as a lead intern while training. In this role, he assisted instructors with onboarding new interns. He is now earning $23.00 at a local car dealership.

Emmanuel is a single father of one son and recently got his first apartment. His home has the perfect parking space for his vehicle awarded through VFC’s car program.