At the Head of Her Class and Homeless
Even Melson isn't sure how she's managed to successfully juggle school (a 4.0 GPA), athletics (cross-country, track, volleyball), and homelessness. "I just know when I have a goal, I try not to let anything get in the way," she says.
That goal, even before becoming homeless, has been to graduate from medical school and become a forensic pathologist. She says her father's murder when she was a baby inspired her to pursue the career.
But it's never been easy.
"Along the way, we stumbled and we started struggling as a family," she says.
When those struggles began, she considered quitting sports and getting a job. But her coaches and teachers convinced her otherwise.
"They were just like, 'Don't worry, you're doing the best you can—keep it up, just do what you have to do,'" she says. "They were always there for me. They took a lot of stress from my mind."
But she says she still worries about what will happen to her family after she heads off to college in the fall, even if the campus is just a few miles away. She's hopeful her younger brother, who's 14 years old and a talented athlete, will continue to find a haven in sports.
In the meantime, she has advice for other homeless kids: Don't let your situation define you.
"I would just say keep your head up because you never know what's going to happen," she says. "You just have to have hope and faith and don't let it change who you are. Don't become ashamed and don't be embarrassed. And just know who you are inside. Because you live in a shelter—that's not who you are, that's just where you reside at for the moment."
Which inference is supported by evidence in the passage?
(1 point)
Responses
Homelessness can help with getting into college.
Homelessness can help with getting into college.
Homelessness is not always difficult.
Homelessness is not always difficult.
Homelessness is permanent.
Homelessness is permanent.
Homelessness can be an obstacle to success.
1 answer
The inference that is supported by evidence in the passage is:
Homelessness can be an obstacle to success.
This is indicated by Melson's struggles with balancing her school, athletics, and homelessness, even though she has managed to maintain a 4.0 GPA and stay engaged in sports. The passage highlights her challenges and worries about her family's situation, suggesting that homelessness poses difficulties in her pursuit of success.
