Teen who grew up homeless thrives at Ivy League school
Eboni Boykin spent her life living in homeless shelters. Sometimes she even slept in cars with her mother and younger siblings.
Despite bouncing around several schools for most of her educational career, Boykin now has a place to call home.
The sophomore attends Columbia University in New York; one of the nation’s top Ivy League institutions.
“It never really ceases to amaze me, where I am, it never really sinks in,” Boykin said. What’s even more amazing is that she’s in college on a full scholarship, an accomplishment she’s especially proud of. “I don’t have to bother my mom with my expenses,” she said. “I’m sort of in a place where I can take care of myself. I’m absolutely determined to finish what I’ve started by coming here. I’ve wanted this for such a long period of time that it wouldn’t make any sense not to finish.”
Boykin says that while her time at Columbia hasn’t been easy, she’s doing pretty well after finding her footing. “When I started here at Columbia, I didn’t feel prepared at all, at least by my high school,” she told Hello Beautiful.
“My first semester was sort of tumultuous in that way. It was a lot going on and I felt overwhelmed and really small compared to everything that was happening in my life. As time went on, I found friend groups, and activities to get into, and started to get the hang of my work. Now I’m in a more secure place.”
AMAZING.
Eboni Boykin’s story shows that you can overcome just about any obstacle.
We look forward to reporting her continued success at Columbia!
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