The valedictorian of a high school in Washington, D.C. had been living out of a tent under a bridge in the Navy Yard neighborhood.
Michael Jeffery, a recent graduate and the valedictorian from the Goodwill Excel Center, a “tuition-free adult charter high school” had been sleeping in a tent for two years after losing his house and jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, he told NBC4 Washington during an interview on Monday night.
“A lot of people don’t get that second chance, and Goodwill allowed that second chance for me, and I appreciate that,” Jeffery told the outlet.
FROM HOMELESS TO HS GRAD: Michael Jeffery lived in a tent under a DC bridge for 2 years. He just got his HS diploma (and was valedictorian) at the Goodwill Excel Center, found permanent housing, and is now attending Catholic Univ. His inspiring journey tonight on @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/o9YnG0tEmt
— Aimee Cho (@AimeeCho4) July 24, 2023
When the pandemic began, Jeffery lost his job working at a clothing company and Waffle House, in addition to losing his home, he told the outlet.
“I didn’t want to be stuck out here,” Jeffery said in the video. “I don’t wish this on anybody to be stuck out here.”
In early May, the District’s Department of Human Services (DHS) released a press release citing data that showed an increase in homeless individuals in the city.
The 2023 data showed roughly 4,922 unhoused people were living in Washington, D.C., representing an 11.6% increase from 2022. Included in this data is a 10.2% increase in unaccompanied individuals, as well as a 12.1% increase among families.
“We don’t want pity,” Jeffery said in the interview. “A lot of people in this situation is just like me. Like, we want better. We want more.”
Jeffery reportedly moved out of his tent and into an apartment two weeks ago and is set to study legal studies at The Catholic University of America in the fall, according to the outlet.
“There was no hope in this tent, but I found it,” Jeffery told the outlet. “So, you see how far I’ve came and how far I will get.”