NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Mar'quaile Ferdinand is preparing for college with a passion for fashion design and a resilience forged through years of housing insecurity.
The recent Metro Nashville Public Schools graduate spent his high school years without a stable home, often walking the streets at night with nowhere to go.
"All four years of high school, I've never really had a home because I was getting kicked out every day, every week," Ferdinand said. "I would literally stay out, literally walk out all night."
Despite these challenges, Ferdinand found hope in education after noticing a pattern in his family.
"I noticed in my family one of the things they all had in common was they didn't like education, so I'm like maybe that's the biggest factor that I need to change - prioritize school," Ferdinand said.
His journey wasn't without obstacles. Ferdinand needed a state ID for the college application process, which proved difficult without a permanent address.
"We were there for like... four hours. It was horrible," Ferdinand said.
Catherine Knowles, coordinator for Metro Schools' Homeless Education Resource Office (HERO), sat with him all those hours at the DMV. She says this is a common challenge.
"We see homelessness on the streets and see that as a single adult problem, but if you look around our community and how the housing landscape is changing, it's no surprise. There are thousands of children and families who are struggling," Knowles said.
The HERO program stepped in to help Ferdinand navigate these challenges, even providing him with a MacBook for college and celebrating his achievements with a small graduation ceremony.
"We do have a card for you... and cookies! This is a mini graduation," Knowles told Ferdinand during the celebration.
Now college-bound with dreams of becoming a fashion designer, Ferdinand is optimistic about his future.
"What I hope my vision of college is, is to help me become... someone who's happy," Ferdinand said.
The HERO program is currently working with four other college-bound students this summer. The program relies on community donations and grants to support students experiencing homelessness.
Do you know a student facing homelessness or want to help support programs like HERO? I'm continuing to follow stories about housing insecurity among students in our community. Contact me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com. Your tips and experiences could help shine light on this important issue affecting thousands of local families.
This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
