In just a week, a Los Angeles teen left behind a life of homelessness to become a fully-funded freshman at the college of his dreams: Howard University.
Thanks to an online campaign called “Homeless To Howard,” it took James Ward just seven days to raise the $14,000 he needed to cover the cost of this year’s tuition after grants and loans. He started classes on Aug 26.
Since Ward became homeless at age 14, he his mother and two younger siblings spent time doubled up with relatives and living out of a car. In February 2012, halfway through Ward’s junior year, the family found beds at L.A.’s Central Union Mission.. Despite attending three high schools in four years, he managed to graduate from San Pedro High School in June.
It was while his family was staying at Central Union Mission that Ward met Jessica Sutherland, a junior producer at Yahoo! Studios.Sutherland, who herself had been homeless as a teen, visited the shelter to speak with the young people there. Ward quickly followed up by sending Sutherland an email telling her about his hope of attending college.
Sutherland agreed to help him with the college application process. When he was accepted to Howard, he sought financial aid but realized that even after receiving grants and loans he would need an additional $14,000 for tuition. He applied to the ParentPlus loan program but was denied due to his mother’s poor credit rating. That was when he and Sutherland decided to turn to strangers to help make his dream a reality.
Within the first day of their Homeless To Howard campaign, the pair had raised $2,075. Then Ward’s story was picked up by the Huffington Post, Nightly News with Brian Williams and the Today show and by the end of the week they had raised all the money Ward needed.
In an interview with Huffington Post, Ward said he was struck by individuals’ desire to help.
“One of the biggest things I’ve learned from my experiences is that, no matter who you are or how scared you are, as long as you ask for help there’s always someone out there who is willing to help you. More kids should understand that because if they did, then you never know what could happen,” he said.
Ward, who has loved science since he was a small child, said he plans to major in physics.
He hopes to become an astrophysicist or genetic engineer.
The campaign had raised more than $32,000 by the time Ward started classes at Howard Aug. 26. He and Sutherland also started a nonprofit called “Homeless.To” to help other underserved students be able to afford their dream college too.
Compiled from the campaign’s tumblr “Homeless to Howard” and reporting by Huffington Post.
