By the end of this month, millions of students will have crossed a stage to collect their high school diplomas. It’s a moment not just about academics but independence, as young adults leave behind the parental safety net.

We have an occasional series here at Marketplace called “Safety Net Confessionals,” in which our Wealth and Poverty desk asks for personal stories on the safety nets that have kept us afloat, financially or otherwise.

In today’s installment, we hear from listener Kurt Deutscher, a 49-year-old web developer who grew up in a low-income family in Portland, Oregon. His safety net came in the form of a unique graduation gift. Click on the audio player above to hear him tell his story.