Elijah Reaches for Academic and Career Goals

When Elijah Garba needed a safe place to sleep, he found it at Covenant House New Jersey. The stability he found at CHNJ allowed Elijah to envision his future. That vision included college and a career in law enforcement or government.  

When a Covenant House staff member told Elijah about a partnership with the Mott Steet Scholarship program at the University of Mount St. Vincent in New York City, Elijah saw his chance. The scholarship program, he writes, “supports talented students who experience homelessness or foster care but lack the financial resources” to go to college. 

Today, Elijah is a senior and about to graduate from UMSV with a dual degree. In the fall, he’ll continue his academic pursuits and work on his master’s in criminology at St. John’s University. 

Elijah is living proof that every young person, with the support of caring adults, can achieve the goals and dreams they set for themselves. Covenant House believes every young person deserves that opportunity. 

Learn more about Elijah, his determination, and his next steps in this article he authored and that was originally published in Youth Today: “How a Scholarship for Homeless Youth Gave Me the Stability to Build a Future.”