Norma Heath is not the average Harvard graduate. This 51-year-old was definitely no high school valedictorian. She wasn’t born with a silver spoon, either. In fact, Norma spent more than 12 years living on the streets. Now, however, she’s the proud owner of a degree in psychology from one of the country’s most prestigious universities. To help put that accomplishment in perspective, you should know that:
- Only 5.4 percent of students that apply to Harvard get in
- A year at Harvard costs $63,025
In a recent interview with WCVB-TV, Norma said that she owed her success to two things: goal setting and a women’s shelter called Rosie’s Place.
Norma Took A While to Find Her American Dream
Her misfortunes started when four-year-old Norma migrated to Boston. With limited English skills and a different cultural background, the young Honduran immigrant struggled to fit in. Four years later, Norma and her family moved to a predominantly white neighborhood. However, things didn’t get any better for her: “We moved to a white neighborhood and they didn’t accept me either. That’s when the self-hatred began,” she said.
Drugs Were Not The Answer
Norma went to great lengths to deaden her pain. At just 12 years old, she turned to a dangerous source of pain relief: drugs and alcohol. “My drug of choice was crack cocaine and marijuana. And everything that came with it: the lying, the stealing, the prostitution, I did it.” Eventually, the drug use came to dominate her life. After losing her job, Norma found herself struggling to survive on the streets of Boston. She stayed that way until she found Rosie’s Place at 48 years old.
Eventually, the drug use came to dominate her life. After losing her job, Norma found herself struggling to survive on the streets of Boston. She stayed that way until she found Rosie’s Place at 48 years old.
Rosie’s Place and Norma’s Turnaround
This women’s shelter opened in 1974 to provide homeless and at-risk women the dignity and tself-confidence often lost on the streets. The program offers housing, food, and educational support to women all across the Boston area. For Norma, going to Rosie’s Place led to taking lessons in reading, writing, and goal-setting. It was the latter that eventually led her to the Ivy League. Her thought process went something like this:
For Norma, going to Rosie’s Place led to taking lessons in reading, writing and goal-setting. It was the latter that eventually led her to the Ivy League. Her plan went something like this:
- Make it to my doctor’s appointment
- Get off drugs
- Stay away from people who do drugs
- Graduate from Harvard
With the encouragement of her counselor behind her, Norma went on to reach those goals.
What’s New…
What a fabulous story. She is an inspiration to everyone. Special thank you to Rosie’s Place!
This is a nice story and I wish Rosie well. We all like stories about how individuals overcome incredible adversity to succeed.
However, the story just confirms the reality that working-class kids of all colors, all backgrounds and many with exceptional intellectual abilities are denied the opportunity to pursue higher education. If you look at who can attend college in 2017, it is the children of the affluent upper middle class, the wealthy, and the very poor for whom there are special admissions programs, tuition waivers, and financial support from grants and government programs.
Our culture has closed the door to learning for those that come from working families of humble backgrounds. That is a huge loss for America as we try to compete in the world economy. It is also a personal human tragedy for the millions of kids that will never have the opportunity to achieve their potential. It is long overdue that we invest in our future by making public colleges tuition free and change our admission policies such that students enter college based on merit rather than on their family’s ability to pay.
Not sure why any university in any country would deny a student entry if his grades were up there, no matter what school they attended. The university fees get paid back once they get a job. Which universities are you referring to?
I’m referring to virtually all public colleges and universities in the United States. All charge tuition and that tuition has increased decade by decade to the point that the costs of attending college are beyond the reach of most working families.
Students can, as you suggest, borrow money to attend college. Many have done so and, in today’s economy they end up under employed and facing a lifetime of debt. The system works very well for college employees – administrators receive very generous pay & benefits and there are FAR more administrators per student in many American colleges than one will find in European universities. It also works GREAT for the banks that issue student loans. Their profit is guaranteed by the government should students default on loans. The system no longer works for gifted working class American kids.
When I attended college in the late 1960s and early 1970’s in California. Public colleges were tuition free. My family was working class. However, I was able to pay for the costs of college – various fees, books and living costs by working at night and weekend jobs. Then, in my late twenties, I was able to begin my professional career debt-free. It took me ten years to complete my education while working, but it was possible. Today, there is no way that a person could do what I did. As a result, some of our nation’s finest minds are baristas at Starbucks.
Sorry that should have been success and happiness.
Bravo Norma. That is so wonderful. I wish you much success and success in your future life.
Congratulations
Namaste’
THE GALARNEAU FAMILY
What an inspirational story for all of us. Good on you Norma. Proud of uour achievements.