Homeless Student Heads to Harvard

SOURCE: http://www.gnn.com/article/homeless-student-heads-to-harvard/539624

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.

Khadijah's intelligence extends beyond the classroom. Her years spent surviving pimps, prostitutes and drug dealers taught her how to avoid bad habits and seek mentors, counselors and programs to help her reach her goals.

James and Patricia London became involved with Khadijah through one of those initiatives, South Central Scholars. After her mother and sister vanished from the homeless shelter where they were staying, the Londons opened their hilltop home to a lonely Khadijah for the remainder of her 12th grade year.

James, an orthopedic surgeon, and Patricia, a nurse, helped Khadijah with the essays for her college applications, according to the Los Angeles Times. They also taught her valuable life skills like money management, table manners and grooming.

Her Harvard recruiter, Julie Hilden, said she was impressed with her scholastic performance and knew she was a top candidate. The challenge for the Ivy League school is to create a support network of faculty, counselors and a host family that will all help foster her growth.

"I strongly recommended her," Hilden told the newspaper. "I told them, 'If you don't take her, you might be missing out on the next Michelle Obama. Don't make this mistake.' "

After only seeing her mother sporadically during the last six months before her high school graduation, Khadijah found her and her sister at a storage facility in South Central L.A. where they last stored their belongings.

The "Harvard girl" modeled her hunter green graduation cap and gown and practiced switching the tassel for her fractured family.
"Look at you," her mother said. "You're really going to Harvard, huh?"

"Yeah," she said, pausing. "I'm going to Harvard."