Homeless High School Graduate To Attend College for Free

Ever since the beginning of this school year, I have fallen into this emo phase... I thought it would get better as the term progresses but ever since I remembered what my childhood dream was, the depression seems to have gotten worse.

To alleviate the painful combination of ennui and exhaustion -- and to keep myself from experiencing a complete nervous breakdown -- I've decided to look at a lot of people that may possibly inspire me. I will keep doing this until I figure out what my next move will be. You'll notice that my recent posts were about people and events (movies and even exhibits) that defied the odds: a group of artists who turned an unappealing place into an award-winning hall, a movie about a bullied child battling it out in a seemingly unfriendly country, an animator who turned to math in order to penetrate the film industry...

Now here's another inspiring story of a girl who fought the odds and won a scholarship.  Her parents were immigrants whose residency expired, so Jessica Herrera did not only have to worry about her homework and exams, she also had to worry about having a roof over her head.  Homeless but exceptionally smart and determined (a rare combination), she will now be entering the Florida International University, her tuition already covered.  She says she wanted to take up psychology and help children. Now this is education money that's being put to good use.

“My senior year was always the year I looked forward to. But this year, things got really super hard at home,” Herrera said. “I just didn’t want to give up.” -- Quoted from Todd Wright's report at NBC Miami

Situations like this make me thank the heavens that there are people who are made of stern stuff and that they are made sterner by their struggles. I hope students everywhere take their cue from Jessica Herrera. It's also quite touching to know that she wants to return the favor.

You can read the complete story here:
http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local-beat/Homeless-Teen-To-Attend-College-for-Free-96182914.html

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