When Lawrence Thomas graduated at the top of his class from Ball State University, he was still in prison. That’s especially remarkable given that, when he was locked up at age 16, he hadn’t yet completed high school. Thomas eventually got out and connected with the Safer Foundation in Chicago, which helps people with criminal records find work. Recently he visited his financial coach there, Karen DeGrasse. As part of our StoryCorps series, Thomas tells her about his childhood and growing up as one of eight kids to a single mom who was an alcoholic.

StoryCorps’ mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to share, record and preserve their stories. These excerpts, edited by WBEZ, present some of our favorites from the current visit, as well as from previous trips.