TJ's Independence

When she was 18 years old, TJ was running out of options.

She lived with her grandfather in the Bronx, until he kicked her out. TJ started house hopping, staying with friends and relatives who could offer her a temporary place to sleep.

And though TJ didn’t always know where she would sleep at night, she knew that she wanted more for her future. She enrolled in college, but moving around so often made it hard to go to school. So TJ moved into a homeless shelter.

While the shelter helped TJ continue taking classes, it was lonely, scary…and temporary. Fortunately, she was referred to Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter and she moved into Louis Nine House.

She took advantage of the education and vocational support, and worked with her case manager to set goals and design a plan to meet them.

TJ earned her Associate’s degree, and then her Bachelor’s degree. She finished the NYC Teaching Collaborative program, and started teaching special education in the Bronx. And now she is taking classes to finish her Master’s degree.

Earlier this year, TJ moved out of Louis Nine House to her own apartment and is able to support herself, including paying rent with no subsidies.

Watch Tihirah share more of her story in her own words.