Christmas Eve 1992 (Expelled, Homeless, Landing on Feet)

1992 — Montana → college town

Master Registry #22 | Origin Story, Resilience, Starting from Zero

Setting: Christmas Eve 1992 — expelled from college

“I was living there because I got kicked out of college on Christmas Eve, 1992. I was an R.A. since I was military, but I hadn’t gone to class for reasons for about 5 weeks, and the people in charge were too chicken to tell me to my face.

So I flew home to Montana for Christmas break, and the mail arrived Christmas Eve with a letter informing me that since I was being expelled for one semester due to failing grades, I also had to move out of the dorm, and my employment as a Residential Assistant was also therefore terminated.

I opened the mail, so I was the only one in the family to know. All I had was my return ticket to college and my Jeep, still parked at college and my things in my dorm room.

I had been recruited into the Army National Guard at 16, since that was the only way this Preacher’s Kid was going to college, and I figured now, I had the choice of living with my parents or just taking the trip back and landing on my feet.

So a few days later, the night before we drove me to the airport 2 hours away, I told one of my little sisters what had happened and where I was going. So that my family would know not to worry, and that I’d call them when I had the chance (since long distance then was quite expensive).

I landed, got my things in my jeep, and spent 3 days sleeping in it until a friend lent me his couch for a week until I could get a job and then rent a one bedroom with a missing wall (covered with a taped tarp) since the landlord, a professor at the school, was still working on the house. It was $175 per month, which was about half of the money I made.”

Key Details:

  • Christmas Eve 1992
  • Expelled for failing grades (hadn’t gone to class for 5 weeks “for reasons”)
  • Lost dorm, lost R.A. job, lost everything at once
  • Army National Guard since age 16 — only way preacher’s kid could afford college
  • Only told little sister, night before leaving
  • Slept in Jeep for 3 days → friend’s couch for a week → $175/month apartment with missing tarp wall

Key Lesson: Land on your feet. Start from nothing. Build from there.

Connection to Platform: This is WHY the $5 entry point matters. The founder WAS that person.

Best Used For: Origin story, resilience, starting from zero, understanding struggle