Two inspirational Stories: Chase Adam and Khadijah Williams

Two Caps, Two Gowns, But Not Too Busy

Chase Abrams started taking college classes at the same time he was in high school.The next thing he knew, he was attending two graduations. Abrams was involved in the Accelerated College Enrollment and Pre-Accelerated College Enrollment program (ACE-PACE) at Cal Sate Los Angeles.”It’s for people who just want to get their feet wet and take a couple college classes, and I ended up doing the extreme,” Abrams said. He graduated May 29 from Sierra Canyon High School. He graduated Saturday from Cal State LA with a bachelor’s degree. Abrams was a Radio, TV and Film major, but he also exceled at time management. His typical day began at 5 a.m. with a workout at the gym.6:30 a.m. – 7:30 a.m.: Take sister to Calabasas.
7:30 a.m. – 8 a.m.: Drive to Chatsworth
8 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Attend high school classes
3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.: Football practice

The next thing he knew, he was attending two graduations.Abrams was involved in the Accelerated College Enrollment and Pre-Accelerated College Enrollment program (ACE-PACE) at Cal Sate Los Angeles.”It’s for people who just want to get their feet wet and take a couple college classes, and I ended up doing the extreme,” Abrams said. He graduated May 29 from Sierra Canyon High School. He graduated Saturday from Cal State LA with a bachelor’s degree.Abrams was a Radio, TV and Film major, but he also exceled at time management. His typical day began at 5 a.m. with a workout at the gym.

6:30 a.m. – 7:30 a.m.: Take sister to Calabasas.
7:30 a.m. – 8 a.m.: Drive to Chatsworth
8 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Attend high school classes
3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.: Football practice

“Then, I’d go all the way from 4:45 without a shower to Cal State LA,” Abrams said.He finished his college classes at 10 p.m. Abrams used one weekend day to study. He spent the other weekend day with friends.”I still had the full high school experience all around,” he said. “I went to prom, had a girlfriend for 2 1/2 years.”If the radio-TV-film thing doesn’t work out, Abrams said he plans to return to school for pre-med studies.

Homeless Student Heads to Harvard

(June 23) — Peers called Khadijah Williams the “Harvard girl,” or “smart girl” who enrolled at their Los Angeles high school just 18 months ago, but she never told them of the struggles behind her success: She was homeless.

Williams, 18, graduated fourth in her high school class with a GPA just under 4.0. It’s an amazing feat considering she spent the bulk of her life on the street. She, her mother Chantwuan Williams and younger sister Jeanine Williams have been moving in and out of homeless shelters throughout California for years, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Khadijah recognized her gift for learning as early as age 9, when she placed in the 99th percentile on state exams. She was soon designated a gifted student.

Her elementary educational path became rocky shortly thereafter because of constant uprooting stemming from her mother’s money woes. She failed to complete the fourth, fifth and eighth grades; skipped the sixth and split seventh between Los Angeles and San Diego. In total, she attended 12 schools over 12 years.

Khadijah’s intelligence extends beyond the classroom. Her years spent surviving pimps, prostitutes and drug dealers taught her how to avoid bad habits and seek mentors, counselors and programs to help her reach her goals.

James and Patricia London became involved with Khadijah through one of those initiatives, South Central Scholars. After her mother and sister vanished from the homeless shelter where they were staying, the Londons opened their hilltop home to a lonely Khadijah for the remainder of her 12th grade year.

James, an orthopedic surgeon, and Patricia, a nurse, helped Khadijah with the essays for her college applications, according to the Los Angeles Times. They also taught her valuable life skills like money management, table manners and grooming.

Her Harvard recruiter, Julie Hilden, said she was impressed with her scholastic performance and knew she was a top candidate. The challenge for the Ivy League school is to create a support network of faculty, counselors and a host family that will all help foster her growth.

“I strongly recommended her,” Hilden told the newspaper. “I told them, ‘If you don’t take her, you might be missing out on the next Michelle Obama. Don’t make this mistake.’ “

After only seeing her mother sporadically during the last six months before her high school graduation, Khadijah found her and her sister at a storage facility in South Central L.A. where they last stored their belongings.

The “Harvard girl” modeled her hunter green graduation cap and gown and practiced switching the tassel for her fractured family.

“Look at you,” her mother said. “You’re really going to Harvard, huh?”

“Yeah,” she said, pausing. “I’m going to Harvard.”

Source (chase adam): http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Two-Caps-Two-Gowns-But-Not-Too-Busy.html?yhp=1

(khadijah williams): http://www.gnn.com/article/homeless-student-heads-to-harvard/539624?icid=main|main|dl2|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gnn.com%2Farticle%2Fhomeless-student-heads-to-harvard%2F539624