In the podcast “Lower Income, Higher Ed” NPR reporter Cuvvy Perpaterson ( I believe that’s what she said) discussed the issues high school students in D.C. face while applying and attending University. Perpaterson describes her interaction with one teenager; Christopher. He is a first-generation college student. “Christopher grew up in one of the poorest parts of Washington, D.C. He and his mother went through frequent bouts of homelessness when he went to high school — often staying in shelters.” Christopher illustrates his feelings about how attending University affected him. He speaks of how the first time he stepped into his dorm he couldn’t believe he has a space to call his own. He also expresses his fears of being alone and worries for …show more content…
Christopher leaving his home and not knowing the road ahead. I had something similar happen to me while in fourth grade. I was living in Rockwall, Texas my dad had just got laid off from his job for reasons we still don’t understand. We had to move out of our house to save money. At first, we went to Waco, Texas (yes that’s where fixer-upper is) I attended a Catholic school there for only half a year. It was odd for me having to go look for hand me down uniforms and school supplies. People looked at us differently even though we looked just like them. They had an expression of guilt almost for absolutely no reason. I, fortunately, had help from the school so that I would have all the correct supplies and uniforms. But when this happened I also lost things that I believed every child should have like a bedroom, bed, bathroom, and personal space. I lost all of that when we moved into this maybe 700 square foot apartment above someone’s garage. This made me realize a harsh truth that I shouldn’t take anything for granted. I was afraid like Christopher that my family wouldn’t be able to even afford the apartment; that we would be driven out into the streets. I was lucky that my parents had gone to college and graduated with masters degrees. They were first generations from very poor families also. In college, they learned to keep pushing and never let one thing knock you down. They have told me countless times of how they had to work to go to school and change how they acted around classmates. I learned that if my dad didn’t have that degree I wouldn’t be writing this journal entry right now. It made me appreciate what I have and try to give to others that need help. Encourage people to shoot for the stars and attend that class because something as small as money for a bus ticket can change a person’s
Which means different classes have different expectations, support and technique toward their kids with can affect their way reaching to success base on what they learned from their parents. According to Homeless on Campus, an essay was written by Eleanor J. Bader. Bader was a freelance writer, an instructor in the English Department at Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, New York and also a coauthor of Targets of Hatred: Anti- Abortion Terrorism(2001). In the essay, Bader argues about the hardship for a low- income and homeless students to attend college.
The article titled “School Where Homeless Find Haven”, was written by the author Seth Myans. In this article, the author highlights a major problem that was happening at the Coeur d’Alene Elementary school in Los Angeles; the problem being on how to help the numerous transient students attending their school. These homeless children are constantly moving from school to school due to their family needing to travel around to finds jobs and lodging. One teacher comments saying, “We see the children come in, then leave in two or three weeks, then come again and leave again, It's very frustrating”. Because of this constant moving to different schools their education is being damaged.
The novel shows Christopher’s growth throughout the story and how he gains maturity. By showing the many hardships
With the federal law of the Mckinney-Vento homeless Assistance Act established in 1987 in response to the reports that only 57% of homeless children were enrolled in school (White), progress was starting to take effect in finding solutions to the crisis of homeless youth in education. Currently, this act goes to address the needs of homeless youth required by law. Because of this, school districts have decided to focus on the three critical problems influencing these youths. By eliminating barriers of enrollment, attendance, and success in schools many educators have decided that these specific provisions would be the most beneficial to these students (White). This act further went to provide homeless children the right to remain in the same
Unstable low income jobs are one of the biggest reasons as to why college students are homeless. These are the only jobs many college students can get and the hours are not very practical for a college schedule. Many decent jobs do not hire students who just graduated high school, they typically want students who have just graduated
Federal law defines children and youth who are homeless as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence (McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act 2009; as cited in Rahman, Turner, Elbedour, 2015). Homeless students can be classified as either sheltered or unsheltered according to HUD Point in Time. These students may be referred to as mobility students. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) counts those who are involuntarily staying with friends, family, strangers, in motels and hotels as homeless. Many United States school systems are faced with the truth about the increase in students who are classified as homeless in schools.
In 2009, my family moved from the city to the suburbs. A lot of the things changed for the better; safer neighborhoods, better schools . . . it had seemed as if we 'd made it. But all that changed after the first day of school.
Finally, even though they were all first generation students they still knew from the very beginning that they would graduate college. The advice that I would give future current-generation students is to not focus on the successes or the lifestyles of their peers and make their own paths. In college you truly will meet so many people who will be going down the wrong paths, or not exhibiting behaviors that you would think but just avoid the partying as much as possible; or if they do decide to party and stuff just to always put their education first and have their work
In addition, Christopher also highlights the fact that his situation drives him to rely mentally on his mind and thoughts. He is forced to be completely dependent on his head and hands, showing ultimate independence and inner power. The new lifestyle Christopher
I learned what it took to be successful, that I couldn 't just go through the motions. I learned one of the most important lessons of my college career thus far, and it is this- in order to be successful here (at Texas A&M), you must immerse yourself in every lesson, every lecture, every class. Everything must be 100%, and not a second should go to waste. Each moment is a moment to learn and to better yourself and your knowledge. There will be concepts that you just don 't understand, and when that road block is reached, immediate action must be taken; there 's a commonly spoken line that I never really listened to until recently, and that line is, "don 't be afraid to ask for help!"
I have learned to be more responsible and aware of the consequences that my actions cause. My experience with falling behind and making up credits due to my previous choices taught me to be more mindful about how I make decisions, and have driven me to be more goal-oriented and work harder towards my long-term goals. Additionally, I have developed a more flexible mindset which has shaped who I am and has allowed me to make more connections with people and to be open to change even if it's something that I am not used to. I consider my grandma one of my biggest strengths because she was a great supporter and motivator throughout my life. She has been my main motivation to attend college by always encouraging me to do the best I can and giving me
It is complicated to get a practical image of the everyday life of an unaccompanied and homeless youth. The statistics of homeless youth are rising, but this subgroup of the homeless population remains one of the least understood, most vulnerable, and most convoluted to attain. Once on the street, adolescents are victimized as they are exposed to dangers that equal or exceed the home situations they sought to escape.
Students will learn and comprehend the importance of college, which will motivate them to graduate high school and start their journey after. Knowing about all these things are important benefits that students will learn from attending and participating in these types of
I was shipped off to school not knowing what would happen or what was going on. All day I wondered what had happened. Thoughts raced
I learned that any barrier you face there is always an option to overcome it and be successful. I can grow by working my hardest on my school work and never giving up, even when things get hard. I also learned that time management is a very great skill to obtain at this time in my life, because college courses take time, effort, and lots of patience. I must give myself time to prepare for class work and especially exams. Having a schedule for my school work and my personal life is the best choice to help me stay on track.