Evan’s Story of Surviving Poverty

Evan’s story is hard to read, but his story of overcoming is even more inspiring. And the good news: your support for International Student Foundation has a direct impact on the many students with stories like Evan’s. 

Evan was born to young parents of modest means, and his father left their family without a trace when Evan was three months old. Later, his mother developed addictions that, unfortunately, brought complicated living situations, guardians, and trauma into his life. He began caring for his younger half-brother and homeschooling himself. “Poverty became the primary idiosyncrasy of our incohesive family,” he shares. “Food was a rarity.”

 At age 15, he was placed in a foster home. He excelled in high school and became a nationally ranked varsity athlete, captain of the cross country and track teams, and graduated with high academic honors. He now attends college earning a degree in History and Secondary Education. In his words,

“I plan to continue tackling the setbacks I am faced with in the same manner as I have done in the past: with grit, rigor, and determination. My personal goals are to be the first in my family to graduate college and earn a Summa Cum Laude with a BA in History and a teaching certification, continue extracurricular pursuits, gain more proficiency in playing the electric bass guitar, and to alter the world in a positive way.”