Homeless Teens Overcome Adversity To Graduate High School
BOSTON (CBS) – Dozens of teens from in and around Boston, once homeless, received their high school diplomas Tuesday.
"For me, to make it this far, is a little bit crazy," said Jasmin Rath, who knows the odds were against her. The Lowell High grad who just earned her diploma, spent the last four years bouncing between couches.
"I used to sleep on the floor and everything," she said. "I would cry."
That's where YouthHarbors came in; providing Jasmin with a safe place to live and adult support, so she could focus on learning.
"She was basically one of the only people who had hope in me," Jasmin said. "I came in with just a duffel bag. She gave me jobs, clothes, food. Anything I needed to survive."
The organization has supported close to 700 students over the past nine years, giving them some stability as they chase their dreams.
"I'm hoping to major in business and minor in accounting," Jasmin said. "I hope to start my own business or be something. I hope to change the world and help others as well."