It is virtually impossible for us to imagine what it is like to be 14 years old, living in a homeless shelter and showing up for the first day of high school. But that is the journey of Tierra Jackson, a young women who enrolled at North Lawndale College Prep in the fall of 2003. For Ms. Jackson, each day was a struggle that very few people could endure. But each day, she persevered – until she graduated NLCP in 2007. She is now enrolled at Roosevelt University at Chicago pursuing a degree in International Studies. On NPR’s Morning Edition, Ms. Jackson describes her journey, in her own words.

Sadly, her journey is not unique. 21% of all the children in the United States live in poverty. That is 15 million children. A large percentage of these children are homeless at any given time. At NLCP, approximately 8% of our students – 60-70 children – are homeless right now.

Nevertheless, like Ms. Jackson, these students come to NLCP each day determined to escape this crushing poverty and the predictable downward spiral of gangs, drugs, dropouts and pregnancy. They, along with Ms. Jackson, are on a journey toward college graduation and the security, stability and hope it affords.

In order to support Ms. Jackson and other homeless students who share her journey, NLCP has established the Tierra Jackson Scholarship Fund. The purpose of the fund is to help formerly homeless students to continue their studies after high school. As Ms. Jackson’s journey demonstrates, these students have a special combination of grit, perspective and optimism that warrants our admiration – and a unique set of needs that warrants our support.