Local News
Homeless Texas High School Student Graduates Top of His Class
Liyjon DeSilva just graduated at the top of his class from Margaret Long Wisdom High School in Houston with a 3.67 GPA – even though he was homeless for three years.
This amazing HISD student slept on the streets of Houston before showing up to school everyday. He often stayed in parking lots so he could look up at the stars in the night sky.
DeSilva told ABC 13 that he knew what he had to do despite his hardships because, “I have a chance.”
DeSilva’s mother passed away when he was three, and the rest of his family abandoned him. He kept his life on the streets a secret, but eventually he was discovered. Then, the young man had to learn how to trust people again.
Principal Trinh and Jessica Smith of “Communities in Schools,” found DeSilva a home and helped him excel. DeSilva recognized that there were “too many possibilities to just waste,” and he seems like an unstoppable force.
“I’m still here, I’m strong,” he proclaimed. His ability to be optimistic and ambitious has earned him a full scholarship to attend Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. Smith is currently helping to raise money to get DeSilva school supplies, including a computer.
