Television therapist Phil McGraw had some advice for Stockdale High School senior John Horn.
Use his bad experiences to do good.

And in Horn's case, he's well on his way.

Horn told his story on the nationally syndicated television talk show "Dr. Phil" that aired Tuesday. Horn revealed that he had been in more than a dozen foster and group homes since his heroine-addicted, prison-bound mother gave up Horn when he was 8.

Not all of his caretakers have been good ones. When he was about 9 years old, a family made him sleep in a freezing garage and would sometimes pour cold water on him as punishment.

After transferring in and out of 12 high schools, his transcripts, while showing good grades, didn't have all the college preparation courses needed to get into a state university. He did score in the top 5 percent of all ACT college entrance exam test takers.

During his appearance on "Dr. Phil," he found that his life was going to get better -- way better.

"How can I stop feeling alone and start trusting people?" he asked McGraw on the show.

McGraw gave some advice.

"There is no way to make what happened in your life OK," McGraw said. "What you can do is at least create some meaning."

Then he was told he was being given a laptop computer and trip to Europe. But what caused the most tears from Horn was what Kendyl Magnuson had to give.

It was an acceptance letter to Cal State Bakersfield. Magnuson is the associate director of admissions and records at the university.

Horn had been given special admittance based on his high grades and test scores. The Education Opportunity Program, known as EOP, admits up to 60 students per year into the university who don't meet the traditional requirements.

"Nobody really cared enough to keep him taking college prep courses," said CSUB's EOP Assistant Director Emile Callahan, but "his test scores were off the chart."

Horn and about 25 others, mostly CSUB staff, watched the "Dr. Phil" show on campus Tuesday.

"John could have given up in high school," Magnuson said. "What makes him different is that he didn't give up. His ACT score shows he didn't give up."

Horn said he plans to major in nursing, and after becoming a registered nurse, work and pay his way through law school. His ultimate dream is to be a child advocate attorney.

In the immediate future, he's trying to get his high school chemistry grade up and build a positive relationship with his mom, who lives in Bakersfield.

"I feel a lot better. I feel that everything I went through had meaning and purpose," Horn said in an interview. "Bad things have to happen for good things to happen. Without valleys, there can't be hills."