Nestor Morales would agree that the biggest blessings come from those who love you, and the Masonic Children’s Home is no exception. Now a proud alumnus, Nestor is grateful for the gift of a future for himself and his family.
Nestor was born in Hialeah, Florida, and spent the early years of his life just outside of Miami. After a few years of back-and-forth between Miami and Philadelphia, Nestor moved into the Masonic Children’s Home in 2007 at age 7.
Though he remembers being homesick, living in the same cottage as his older brother, Josh, who also moved in that same year, helped with the transition. Their cottage mates were also a big help in making them feel at home, as well as beloved house parent Matt Clouser.
“The boys had a tradition of doing what they could to make it easier for a new kid who just moved in, and that’s exactly what they did for Josh and me,” Nestor said.
While at the children’s home, Nestor enjoyed playing outside and hide-and-seek in the dark, and frequenting Patton and Brossman Pools. “I could probably walk from the cottage to the pool with my eyes closed,” he jokes.
As he neared the end of high school, Nestor wasn’t sure what he wanted to do after graduation, but his advisors at the children’s home helped him consider his strengths.
“I knew I liked doing things with my hands. I can’t tell you how many things I took apart while I was at the Masonic Children’s Home,” he recalls.
In the Elizabethtown Area School District, Nestor was able to take classes geared toward mechanics and engineering, which helped him discern a career path he was already familiar with.
“It was my dad who got me into aircraft maintenance. He’s been a mechanic for most of his life,” Nestor said. “I almost always helped my dad work on cars, so I kept following him.”
Nestor was able to shadow his father at the Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Philadelphia, where Nestor later attended himself.
“I still remembered what was talked about that day, which, funny enough, helped me on one of my tests!” he says. “The whole school was a mix of theory and hands-on work. It was an amazing fit.”
Nestor looks back fondly at his time spent at the children’s home and doubts his success would be possible without support from donors and staff.
Outside of the classroom, his house parents and mentors were there to teach him the basics of cooking, personal finances and time management, among other valuable skills.
“I don’t think they ever ‘babied’ me or treated me like a kid too much, which I liked because it helped me work on my communication skills that were always a big problem for me,” he said.
Nestor is also extremely grateful for receiving his education debt-free, thanks to the help of donors.
“The weight off my shoulders feels amazing,” he said. “It’s one bill I don’t have to worry about while I’m trying to make my life over here in Philly.”
Aside from Josh, Nestor has a younger sister, Noelia, who also stayed at the children’s home, which he says helped them bond. She graduated this year.
“She also got a good education and a safe place to live while she grew up,” Nestor said. “As a brother, I always wished that for her, and I know she deserves it.”
Nestor is currently working at Doylestown Airport, where he has earned his license in aviation mechanics. In his free time, he enjoys sewing and design, studying game theory and learning to play instruments. For the future, he has his sights set on Phoenix, Arizona, and the large commercial airports it offers.
Nestor sends “a HUGE thank you” to the donors who made these opportunities possible.
“Every kid takes something away with them that they will hold onto forever,” Nestor said. “There’s not a day I don’t think about, reminisce or do something related to the Masonic Children’s Home in some way.
“I don’t know where I’d be without it.”