Khadijah Williams was born homeless. Her mother, only fourteen years old at the time, had dropped out of school when she became pregnant and left home. The two moved from one homeless shelter to another, often ending up in slums, sometimes digging through trash bags just to find food. For someone constantly on the move, struggling to survive each day, dreams and hope seemed like a luxury.
Still, Khadijah’s mother did everything she could to send her daughter to school whenever possible. Though they had to move so frequently that Khadijah changed schools twelve times and her attendance was inconsistent, her mother always made sure she looked as clean and tidy as possible for class. Khadijah devoured newspapers and magazines and read five books a month. Even when other homeless people mocked her for studying, she clung to her dream and threw herself into her education. In 2009, her efforts paid off—Khadijah was accepted to the prestigious Harvard University on a full scholarship.
“What I hated most was when people said, ‘You’re homeless, it’s okay to just get by.’ I don’t believe poverty is an excuse for anything. People don’t call me homeless anymore.” Khadijah Williams (from her high school graduation speech)