"From
homeless to Howard" might sound like the title of a movie, but for
19-year-old James Ward, this is his reality -- though it still feels like a
dream.
"It's
surreal. I can't believe after everything that's happened I'm going to be
leaving to attend Howard," Ward said in an interview with The Huffington
Post, reflecting on the generosity of strangers who put him on the path to
Washington, D.C.
Ward, a resident
of Los Angeles, will be able to matriculate at the historically black college
this fall thanks to an online campaign he launched just last week called "Homeless To Howard."
His site is
collecting donations through Paypal and has picked up steam across social
media. Teach
For America sent out a tweet highlighting Ward's story, and rapper Common
shared the link to the site, supporting Ward's dream to attend college.
To date, the
efforts have raised $12,000, enough to handle his first-year expenses not
covered by loans or grants. The bigger goal is to raise the funds for all four
years of college. But for the moment, just having enough to cover the first
year, Ward said, is beyond what he expected.
"I
would've never thought that something we started just a couple of days ago
would've turned out to become this massive," Ward said. "However, it
makes me feel very happy because I know that although the world may seem like a
harsh and cold place, there are some people out there that care and want to
give to those in need."
Since the
age of 14, Ward, along with his mom and two younger siblings, has been homeless
in California. When times were really hard, they lived in his mom's car, but
otherwise they've moved between different shelters and relatives' homes until
they secured a spot at the Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles' Skid Row
neighborhood in February 2012.
"In the
past years, life has been very hectic," he said. "We had a lot of ups
and downs, but through it all, I've always managed to keep my grades up and
help my younger brother and sister do the same and keep them on the right track
as well as myself."
Despite not
having a stable home and attending three different high schools in four years,
James graduated from San Pedro High School in June. Determined to attend
college, he figured out a plan and made it happen -- with a crucial helping
hand from Jessica
Sutherland.
Wonderful story. Congrats
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