Homeless boy wins full-ride scholarship to college despite the odds

A homeless student has beaten the odds by winning a full-ride scholarship to college despite living in a shelter and working two grueling jobs six days a week.

Makoa Perez, who just graduated from Kelso High School in Washington, managed to earn superb grades thanks to his strong work ethic and time management.

Despite lacking a traditional home, Perez finished school with a 3.97 GPA and myriad college credits.

In his senior year of high school, the young man’s hard work was rewarded with a full-ride scholarship to Washington State University.

He had even volunteered his little free time to help out with community service efforts, and he was elected class president. 

Throughout high school, Perez worked two jobs six days a week. His work schedule was extremely hectic, which meant he had to carve out time in which he could study.

‘It was work every single day except for Fridays, and then it was all throughout the week until Saturday,’ Perez said. 

As a full-time student, the industrious student had to pick up shifts whenever possible. This often meant working early mornings and late nights.

‘I opened and closed at both my jobs,’ he told KATU2.

Perez didn’t just go to work and do an indifferent job. Like in school, he exceled at his places of employment. 

At one of his jobs, he ended up a supervisor and oversaw the work of those who were younger than him.

‘Managing an entire shift with a whole crew, some older, some younger with different schedules to attend to and different breaks to accommodate- it was definitely difficult.’

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Using his phone to keep a detailed schedule, Perez was able to keep track of his endless commitments and deadlines. 

In addition to the normal, big-picture concerns many high school students grapple with, the class president also had to answer more immediate questions, like where was he going to sleep?

‘Really, it has been mostly about not only graduating high school and figuring out what I want to do after as my secondary career, but it has also been about housing and keeping myself stable.’ 

Perez was able to seek assistance from the McKinney Vento homeless shelter program, which was signed into law by Ronald Reagan in 1987. He was placed in a shelter, where he lived with several roommates.

The program helps provide homeless students with basic needs like shelter and food.

In Washington, only 63.2 percent of McKinney Vento students graduated from high school- a bleak testament to the challenges these young people face. 

When Perez walked across the stage to receive his diploma, however, he was joined by fourteen other students in the program. The district had a 100 percent graduation rate.

Nancy Baldwin, the district’s McKinney Vento supervisor, attributed the success to the students’ optimistic outlook.

‘We support our students every step of the way…Graduation is what we expect them to do. It is their right.’

Baldwin’s career is centered around helping these students. For her, the most challenging part of the job is finding housing for the young people. 

‘I could work on that five days, eight hours a day. Housing is hard.’

Baldwin also manages the Family Resource Center, which offers the homeless students hot meals and food they can take with them.

She serves as a surrogate mother for many of the young people who are without parents or guardians. 

When the McKinney Vento students received their diplomas, Baldwin was in the audience cheering them on.

‘At graduation, I know I was the only mom there for like 10 or 11 of my kids,’ she said.

‘In my head, I am thinking, gosh, if a mother would just please walk through the door.’

As if working two jobs were not enough, Perez volunteered at the Family Resource Center, assisting Baldwin. He treasured his time there. 

‘When I come in, this place lights up with warmth,’ he said, before adding: ‘They show kindness to everyone who walks through those doors.’

Now that high school is finished, Perez is looking forward to a relatively more relaxing college experience.

‘I do not have to work my first year of college, which makes me insanely happy.’