Kansas City Public Schools estimates 1 in 3 of its students is homeless. And roughly 1 in 3 don’t know where they’re getting their next meal.
Juan Alarcon once fell into both categories. “I was couch surfing with some friends," he said. "It’s not easy to say, but a couple of nights I didn’t have a place to stay, so I just found somewhere to curl up. I missed a couple of meals here and there. You’re thinking very closed-minded if you think people don’t starve in this country.”
Paula Schaaf is Coordinator of Early College Programs for KCPS. “I would say at any one time, I’ve got about a hundred students on campus, juniors and seniors. And about a third of them are homeless.” The program Schaaf runs is the same one that helped Alarcon with dual enrollment in high school and at Metropolitan Community College.
Schaaf has come across dozens of students experiencing hardships beyond the classroom. “I had two students, their mothers just walked out on them. Just left. They came home and they were gone. I had students, their families were living in cars.”
Juan and other students begin taking college courses while juniors in high school. By the time they graduate, they have a high school diploma and an associate’s degree in hand. In addition to turning the tassel, 18 year-old Alarcon will soon turn the keys to his new home. “I can’t explain it. It comes from asking if you could spend the night at someone’s house to I have my own house keys. Satisfaction knowing that even though this system is pinned against me, let’s be real. I still overcame all this.”
Alarcon plans to enroll at University of Missouri Kansas City and study secondary education. He wants to become a teacher in KCPS.
If you or someone you know is experiencing similar hardships, the first thing you should do is contact a school counselor for help. School districts have several programs that offer assistance.
