The ability to help by Elizabeth

The ability to help by Elizabeth - June 2013 Scholarship Essay

            There’s a teenager sitting on a corner somewhere with no place to go. He’s been kicked out of the house by a mother who cares more about her drug addiction, and her boyfriend who pays for it, than her own son. The child welfare system is overburdened. To make matters worse his life experience has left him mistrusting anything to do with “The System”. He’s headed for trouble and so are millions of others like him in similar situations. Rather than meet his full positive potential, statistically he will probably end up in a gang, in jail or both.
            College means the chance to learn to help those teenager’s find hope. I was once a homeless teen. I was blessed to have my mother with me to protect and guide me, millions of others are not so lucky. My experience has inspired me to become a social worker.
            Following completion of my degree I want to open a boarding school for homeless teens. While such places do exist already, they are few and far between.  My dream, for the school, is for it to be a place of mentoring, safety and growth. Such a place will aid homeless teenagers back onto the path of their full potential. Going to college means learning to use my fullest potential to help others reach theirs.