A Son’s Determination
For most of his life, Keontrai Floyd carried a dream—one that stretched beyond himself. It wasn’t just about success or financial stability. It was about changing the trajectory of his family’s life.
“My mom and my younger brothers were stuck in the same cycle for years,” Keontrai says. “I wanted to give them better opportunities.”
Keontrai, now a machinist at Sikorsky, spent much of his childhood without a stable home. His mother, Ronnica Floyd, raised three sons—Keondre, Kalil, and Kymir—while struggling with homelessness for over a decade.
“We’ve been without a home from 2012 to 2024,” Ronnica explains. “But we always kept God first because if you don’t have God, you don’t have anything. I’m grateful He kept us covered and together.”
Keontrai’s journey to stability began when he moved from Virginia to Connecticut to live with his father. He enrolled at Eli Whitney Technical High School, determined to make something of himself.
“I wanted to be the best machinist ever,” he says. “It was tough because other students had a year more experience than me, but I worked hard to catch up.”
His persistence paid off. He joined leadership programs, built strong connections, and ultimately landed an internship at Sikorsky—a highly competitive program with over 400 applicants. He was one of just 22 selected.
“That internship turned into a full-time job,” Keontrai says. “And with that financial stability, I was finally able to move my mom and brothers up here.”
But when they arrived, they had nowhere to go.
“My younger son and I slept in Keontrai’s truck for a while,” Ronnica recalls. “Eventually, we got into a shelter.”
While there, she started a prayer circle and created holiday cards for donors. Meanwhile, Keontrai looked for ways to help beyond his own family.
“I was shopping for my nieces and nephews for Christmas,” he says. “Then I thought, Why not be a blessing to the kids in the shelter too?”
That thought turned into action. With over $2,000 0f his own money, Keontrai bought toys for every child in the shelter, making sure no one was left out.
“When I was younger, there were times I didn’t get presents,” he says. “But somehow, someone always blessed me. So I wanted to do the same.”
One little girl received a special gift—a toy car, the most expensive present of them all.
Shelter staff were stunned.
For Ronnica, the moment was emotional—not just because of her son’s generosity, but because after so many years of uncertainty, she finally was close to having a home of her own with the support of New Reach caseworkers.
Keontrai doesn’t celebrate Christmas, but for him, this wasn’t about the holiday—it was about something much bigger.
“I just hope the kids I helped will pay it forward when they grow up,” he says.
And for those who hear his story, there’s a message in it: perseverance, faith, and generosity can break cycles and change lives—not just for yourself, but for those around you.
“I made sure I stayed focused,” Keontrai says. “Because I knew my family needed me.”
See news coverage of Keontrai's generosity:
WFSB: Once homeless, a teenager from New Haven is now giving back for the holiday season
NBC-CT: Teen goes from homeless to community hero in New Haven