What an inspiring anecdote that reminds us all to never give up ☺ Hank is a first-generation student who didnt have two pennies to rub together. He attended every information session from college representatives, every college tour, and every college prep workshop. Hank was indeed a go-getter. His grades were solid 3.4 GPA, and his test scores were above national average, which is quite impressive for a student who learned English just a few years earlier. Hank had a few AP courses on his transcript, including AP Physics. Although he didnt need AP Physics to graduate, he chose to take the course because he wanted to challenge himself. During this same semester, in between working tirelessly on his college applications, Hank was also working a graveyard shift as a janitor, all while being homeless. He couch surfed, along with his younger brother, from relative to relative. One night as I left work, I noticed Hank starting to walk home. It was cold and rainy. I offered to drive Hank to his relatives house. I had a leftover banana from my lunch and offered it to him. He ate half and saved the other half for his brother. More than likely that was their dinner that night. Hank was admitted to a handful of colleges. His top choice was Santa Clara University and, happily, they accepted him. In addition, he was accepted at UC Santa Cruz, plus a few CSU and private campuses. Remarkably, he had earned enough scholarship money to pay for four years of tuition, including room and board. So, on May 1st, he officially accepted Santa Clara Universitys admission offer and declined the others. But as I previously mentioned, Hank was homeless and working a graveyard shift to support himself and his brother. Outside of simply surviving, school and college applications were his priority. But life was a constant struggle, and it took its toll on his studies. School was not easy for Hank. He utilized free tutoring through the after-school program and never gave up trying his best, but it wasnt enough. At the year-end, he received a D+ in AP Physics. His college admissions was rescinded. Click the link to read more!
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 21:52:46 +0000
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