Teen Resident Overcomes Challenges of Homelessness and Earns Full Scholarship
Despite the challenges facing homeless residents at Chapman Partnership, hope lives at our centers, in our residents, and throughout our Chapman Village every day.
Recent high school graduate, Nia Renee Nelson, is an extraordinary representation of this hope that drives our mission to empower residents to reach their full potential. The eldest of five children, 17-year-old Nia kept a secret from her friends, classmates and teachers – she was homeless. Sleeping on the streets of Miami with her family, she finally found the courage to speak up about her family’s struggles.
Nia and her family began their journey to self-sufficiency nearly a year ago, being welcomed to Chapman Partnership with a private family dorm, three hot meals a day and countless programs and resources. Through these difficult changes, Nia never looked for excuses when it came to her education, taking both Honors and AP classes at iPrep Academy.
Her hard work didn’t stop at school. Nia is also a graduate of Chapman Partnership’s Young Adult Career Academy (YACA) internship program. Through YACA, Nia and other teens and young adults learned a combination of soft and hard job skills through paid work experience coordinated by our centers.
Nia graduated high school this year with an impressive 3.9 GPA, despite the challenges of homelessness and the newly added distance learning brought on by the pandemic. As the first person in her family to go to college, Nia was accepted into Florida International University and was awarded a full, four-year scholarship. She plans to dedicate her life to helping others by becoming a nurse practitioner and then a pediatrician.
Nia recently celebrated her accomplishments alongside other high school and YACA graduates at Chapman Partnership. In an intimate and socially distanced gathering, President and CEO, Symeria T. Hudson with VIP guests Superintendent Alberto Carvalho of Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Ron Book, Chair of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, celebrated the Class of 2020.
Nia’s story of resilience is the reason our Chapman Village community of supporters remains dedicated to empowering our residents. The generosity of our donors makes an impact on the lives of residents like Nia who depend on the nationally-recognized programs at our centers to build a better future. To make a meaningful difference in the lives of our homeless residents, we invite you to join our strong Chapman VIllage by donating at chapmanpartnership.org/supportfromhome .
The inspiring story behind Nia’s success garnered national attention, being told on NBC’s Sunday-Today with Willie Geist. Click the video below to watch Nia’s interview.