'We want better': DC High School Valedictorian Lived in a Tent Under a Bridge For 2 Yrs
- NBC4 News, July 25, 2023. *VIDEO Below.
Michael Jeffery found himself living in a tent in Navy Yard after he lost two jobs and his home. He's now a high school graduate headed to college.
A D.C. man who lived in a tent for two years recently graduated as valedictorian of a free high school for adults. During the pandemic, Michael Jeffery lost his jobs at Waffle House and a clothing company. He also lost his home. He found himself sleeping under a bridge in the Navy Yard neighborhood.
I didnt want to be stuck out here, Jeffery said. I dont wish this on anybody, to be stuck out here. We dont want pity, he added. A lot of people in this situation is just like me. We want better; we want more.
Last year, he signed up for classes at the Goodwill Excel Center, a free high school for adults. For an entire schoolyear, Jeffery took classes & studied while still living in a tent. A lot of people dont get that second chance, & Goodwill allowed that second chance for me, and I appreciate that, he said. --https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/high-school-valedictorian-lived-in-tent-under-bridge-in-dc/3390628/