Homeless Student Heads to Harvard

[bluevoter4life]

Source: AOL News

(June 23) -- Peers called Khadijah Williams the "Harvard girl," or "smart girl" who enrolled at their Los Angeles high school just 18 months ago, but she never told them of the struggles behind her success: She was homeless.

Williams, 18, graduated fourth in her high school class with a GPA just under 4.0. It's an amazing feat considering she spent the bulk of her life on the street. She, her mother Chantwuan Williams and younger sister Jeanine Williams have been moving in and out of homeless shelters throughout California for years, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Khadijah recognized her gift for learning as early as age 9, when she placed in the 99th percentile on state exams. She was soon designated a gifted student.

Her elementary educational path became rocky shortly thereafter because of constant uprooting stemming from her mother's money woes. She failed to complete the fourth, fifth and eighth grades; skipped the sixth and split seventh between Los Angeles and San Diego. In total, she attended 12 schools over 12 years.

Read more: http://tinyurl.com/nq25zs

---

This story made me tear up. Congratulations to Khadijah and her family. Though they may not have always been there, I'm sure her mother couldn't be prouder when she showed up in a cap and gown. A big thank you goes out to the surgeon and nurse that took her in for those critical last few months of high school. Society owes you a debt of gratitude for inspiring and really pulling through to help this remarkable young woman.

[OKNancy]

1. Longer LA Times article

Link: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-harvard20-2009jun20,0,1882109.story?page=1"

[pacalo]

2. Beautiful story that had me hanging onto every word.

[UrbScotty]

3. Wow! I am so excited for her!

[noiretextatique]

4. congratulations to this remarkable young lady

and thank goodness she will finally have a home at harvard.

[yodermon]

5. Unfortunately it's these 1-in-a-million, up-by-the-bootstraps stories that fuel the RW

meme that *all* of the poor should be able to do this, and any form of public assistance to the non-genius working poor out there is a great Evil.

[Posteritatis]

8. So what, should we not be happy this one did it then? (nt)

[santamargarita]

6. I wish there were more stories like this

~

[man4allcats]

7. I know a student who is like this girl in some ways.

She is not gifted, but I have never known any student to work harder under more adverse conditions to get an education. She came to this country from Nigeria with hope and little else, and she will be graduating with her bachelor's degree next May. If I had had that kind of drive and focus when I was in college, my life would have been much different. Of the many students I have known, more than a few of whom have gone on to earn doctorates, there are none I respect more than this woman who I am proud and honored to call my friend. My hat is off to Khadijah, to my friend Doris and to others like them who place so much value on knowledge that they will let nothing stand between them and their goals.

:thumbsup: :toast: :thumbsup: :toast: :thumbsup: :toast: