Ohio State University

Vice President JD Vance’s remarkable journey from a trauma-filled childhood to holding the second-highest office in the country is a clear depiction of the American Dream. It is also a powerful reminder that education and opportunity can fundamentally change the trajectory of a person’s life.

It’s been 10 years since Vance published “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis,” publicly sharing the horrors of his childhood and how he was able to rise above them through his military experience and higher education. The book quickly became a #1 New York Times bestseller. Then, in July 2024, the book once again drew tremendous interest when President Trump selected Vance as running mate for his 2024 reelection
campaign.

In a 2017 interview, Vance acknowledged that he had faced many adverse childhood experiences. During the interview, Vance confirmed each were true of his life: “being sworn at, insulted, and humiliated by his parents”; “being pushed, grabbed, or having something thrown at you”; “having parents who were separated or divorced”; “living with an alcoholic or a drug user”; “living with someone who is depressed or attempted suicide”; and “watching a loved one be physically abused.”