Empowering Girls to Rise Above Adversity

Lauren  changed schools 62 times, 21 of those changes occurred during her high school years. For most of her freshman and sophomore years, she was homeless. Determined to graduate on time, she took 18 classes her senior year, including 4 classes after school and 6 additional online classes. She graduated on the A/B Honor Roll and received a special award given to one graduating senior in recognition of their efforts to rise above adversity. She is also the first person in her family to graduate from high school. When asked what she was most proud of, she said, "I never thought I would make it through everything to get here."

Samantha  said she was most proud that she "never gave up." Despite estrangement from her family, changing schools often, and frequently being the target of bullying, she continued to strive for excellence. She took AP and honors classes and was dual enrolled in college classes her senior year. She received awards for academic excellence in Business and Animation, earned a 3.74 GPA, and graduated with honors.

Julia  was homeless until being placed at Jesse's House the summer before her junior year of high school. Without a laptop or essential school supplies, without a place to eat a meal and sometimes without a meal to eat, without a bed to sleep in or heat to keep her warm, without a place to take a warm shower and wash her hair, she challenged herself and enrolled in all honors classes. Julia graduated as a member of three honor societies: The National Honor Society, The National Art Honor Society, and The National Chinese Honor Society. When asked what she was most proud of, she replied, "I am not one to boast about my academics; I just feel happy that people know me."

"I've changed schools 26 times. I was always the new kid."

"I have never celebrated Christmas before."

"I've never had my own bed before or my own room. I usually slept on the floor."

"My brother and I were living in a tent."

"These are my only pair of shoes."

"I was following my mother, my brothers, and sister through the bus station, and my mom turned around to me and said, 'Stop following us.' Then she got on the bus and left me there."

"We were living in a van."

"I haven't been to a doctor or dentist in years."

"I saw my father kill my mother."

"I haven't seen my mother since she left me on my father's doorstep four years ago."

"My father sold me to his dealers for drugs when I was 12."

"When I got home from school, I saw my mother lying at the bottom of the stairs and my dad lying on the floor in the living room. They were barely breathing so I called 911."