Morehouse College student from San Francisco takes stock of accomplishments and road ahead
SAN FRANCISCO -- Isreal Laviene holds a very special place with us at KPIX 5. In early 2021, we helped connect him to his dream school, Morehouse College in Atlanta.
Now Laviene is back home for summer break with good news about his first year at school. Last year, Laviene shared with KPIX his acceptance letter from Morehouse.
"Dear Isreal, I am excited to welcome you as the newest member of the class of 2025 at Morehouse College," read Laviene. "You should be proud of the accomplishments that led you to this moment."
Laviene's acceptance to Morehouse changed his life.
"When I got that email it was just like a whole weight lifted off of me," said Laviene back in 2021. " I just, like, I was...my body didn't have weight! I was just, I was floating in the air. I felt amazing!"
Fast forward and the native San Franciscan reports his first year at Morehouse was a huge success
"Morehouse is good," said Laviene. "Morehouse is very helpful. It's exactly where I need to be. I'm not going to lie. I love that I went away for college. It's been a great experience. Everything has been really all that I imagined it to be for sure."
Laviene did miss home and family, especially his two little sisters, 9-year-old Iliyah and 6-year-old Ilana.
"I was very homesick," said Laviene of his time away at college. " I wasn't depressed. But it was just really hard being away from family for so long."
So now, Laviene is making up for lost time. Recently he took his two sisters on a special outing to Project Level. The San Francisco-based non-profit provides young people like Laviene with internship opportunities focused on design, brand management and even performing arts like music and dance.
Iliyah Laviene was impressed with the dancers she watched them rehearse a special performance for Mayor London Breed.
"I like how they try their hardest, " she said. " I like how they dance. And I hope when I get older I can be like them."
Laviene says he knows his sisters can be anything they want to be. Because he sees himself as their protector and role model.
"I do it all for them, so I don't care what I go through," said Laviene. "Now, I could lose everything. I'll get it back tomorrow just for them. So, it don't matter ... just as long as they are happy."
The girls' are Laviene's inspiration, and Morehouse is the key to his success - even though it means leaving his family once again as he heads back to start his sophomore year. Laviene says the entire family, including his mother, hope to visit him in Atlanta this year.
"I'm willing to do that, a little time away from my sisters," said Laviene. "I know they are going to miss me but it gotta be done. So I can become the man I need to be for them.
"Yeah, I don't want to leave. I am probably going to cry when I leave, he said. "But I really know that these next three years at Morehouse is definitely going to shape me to be the man I want to be for the next 20, 30 years of my life so it's all good!"
