If you enjoy an underdog story, you’re going to love this: Kenneth Chancey, 17, wants to go to Harvard. OK, maybe not a long shot, but nearly impossible if you’re a homeless kid living on Los Angeles’ Skid Row. Despite what most would consider a disadvantaged upbringing, the high school senior channels his hard luck for inspiration.
When they were younger Chancey and his sister, Stephanie, now age 14, lived in a van with their drug-addicted mother and abusive stepfather. Today however, they live with their father, Gordon Costello, at the Union Rescue Mission.
Costello tells CNN, “It’s a real learning experience, because he never wants to see himself in this position. So I think it benefits him in a great way. It’s not necessarily the lesson I would have wanted to give to him … [but] I am proud of him.”
And Kenneth isn’t just off studying in the shadows somewhere; he’s right in the middle of the action. He’s one of the most popular students at Hollywood’s Helen Bernstein High School, not to mention student body president and this year’s best overall academic student. Alma Flores, one of his teachers, says Chancey has a dynamic personality that attracts students to him.
Chancey also realizes he doesn’t have to “make it” before he can share his experience to inspire others. Through sharing a PowerPoint presentation of his life with other students, he challenges them to strive for greatness, “If I can do it and I’m in this [situation], then you can do it.” He’s in the process of applying to Harvard to fulfill his dreams of being a doctor. Whether he’s accepted or not, Chancey is already a success.