Alan’s story: From struggles to strength
When Alan Butterfield arrived at Serendipity Center as a fifth grader in 1998, life was anything but stable. He had moved between foster homes and relatives, often carrying anger and uncertainty with him. “You can ask Jackie all about it,” he laughs, recalling that Treatment Director Jackie Trussell was his case manager at the time.
“I can guarantee I would not be the man I am today if it wasn’t for this school. The right people at the right place gave me what I needed to grow. They taught me: you make mistakes, you take accountability. If you don’t own it, you’ll never move forward.”
School had never been easy. Alan lived with learning disabilities and the weight of early challenges, but at Serendipity he found a place that believed in his potential. “I can guarantee I would not be the man I am today if it wasn’t for this school,” Alan says. “The right people at the right place gave me what I needed to grow. They taught me: you make mistakes, you take accountability. If you don’t own it, you’ll never move forward.”
Alan threw himself into school life — tutoring classmates, working in the cafeteria, and even helping with janitorial duties. He earned half his senior credits early and graduated in 2005; the first big milestone of a future he once doubted he’d have. Jackie remembers Alan’s determination vividly: “When Alan was in high school, he said, ‘I’m gonna be a welder.’ And we thought, okay… let’s see. And sure enough, he made it happen.”
Though his first dream of becoming a pro skateboarder didn’t pan out, Alan persevered. He worked through setbacks, earned an associate’s degree in Welding Science from Portland Community College, and today is a journeyman welder with more than 14 years of experience. He even builds his own tools to make his work easier.
Now at 39, Alan is dreaming again, this time of building an app to help small business owners manage their finances more effectively. His drive to innovate reflects the lessons he carried from Serendipity: resilience, accountability, and the belief that every day is an opportunity to grow.
“There’s no handbook on how to live life,” Alan says. “But Serendipity gave me wisdom I use every day. You can’t control everything, but you can control how you react. That’s the power they gave me.”
For alumni like Alan, Serendipity is more than a school. It’s a foundation for a lifetime of strength, hope, and possibility.
Alan Butterfield (middle) with longtime Serendipity staff members Jackie Trussell (right) and Linda Patterson (left), together again after nearly two decades.
