Abandoned by his family and left homeless and alone, Orayne Williams earns college scholarship

Abandoned by his family and left homeless and alone, Orayne Williams earns college scholarship
Ben Chapman, New York Daily News, June 15, 2010

In less than two weeks, some 50,000 city high school seniors will graduate.

Few of them will have overcome as many obstacles as Orayne Williams.

Abandoned by his family and living alone in a homeless shelter, the 18-year-old immigrant has not just endured, but excelled.

With a 91 average and three Advanced Placement classes under his belt, he’s headed for college with a fat scholarship and big plans.

“I’ve been through hell,” said Williams, a senior at Bedford Academy in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. “School is my way out.”

Born into poverty outside Kingston, Jamaica, Williams grew up with no water or electricity, scrounging food from the street and avoiding gangs.

He was 12 when his mother sent him to Florida with only the clothes on his back. He was taken in by relatives who he says abused him and dealt drugs. (Read the full article)