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An Cincinnati, Ohio, teen who entered foster care at the age of 16 and rehomed five times in less than two years is getting ready to further her education at one of the top schools in the country on a full ride due to her hard work amid unstable conditions and what would be insurmountable odds for many.
Kelisha Williams (Pinterest)
While working at Walmart and figuring out the next move for her future, Kelisha Williams was encouraged to apply for college after being encouraged by her Specialized Alternatives for Families & Youth (SAFY) foster mom Maria Finkenstead. Once she learned Williams scored a 32 on her ACT, Finkenstead told the teen that with a score like that the college world is her oyster.
Ohio Teen Goes From Foster Care to Full-Ride Harvard Scholarship; Aspires To Be President
Image Credit: GoFundMe
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Kelisha Williams was in the foster care system since she was 16 years old but now she’s heading to Harvard University,
WCPO reports.
“When I applied to Harvard, I applied to Harvard as a joke,” Williams told WCPO. “I didn’t think I was going to get in…To any of the foster kids that are watching, everyone always says it’s going to get better. I never used to believe that when I was going through it and stuff like that. Eventually, it does.”
Local artist Leavy Wells Jr. creates sidewalk chalk art during the DTSB First Fridays event in downtown South Bend.
Janice Purnell, foster parent recruiter for Specialized Alternatives for Families and Youth, a nonprofit, therapeutic foster care licensing agency, invited both artists and the community to create sidewalk artwork in support of foster care programs for children.
May is Foster Care Awareness Month, and Indiana has a challenge in finding foster parents for the 12,000 children currently in foster care.