75: Homeless to Yale with Chelesa Fearce

 

Chelesa Fearce grew up homeless in Atlanta throughout high school. Even in the midst of that hardship, she was a dedicated student and graduated as the valedictorian of her class. She is pursuing a dual degree in medicine at Yale University. In this episode:

  • Pursuing dual degrees in medical school in research and child psychiatry
  • Living in and out of homeless shelters and hotels for eight years as a teenager
  • Moving to Mississippi when her mother was diagnosed with cancer
  • The worst experience she had from homelessness
  • Recognizing her duty as a role model to her younger siblings
  • Why Chelesa looks up to her mother
  • Receiving a full scholarship to Spelman College
  • Why Chelesa chose Yale for medical school among many other elite schools she was accepted to
  • Her key to limiting stress while creating an environment of meaningful studying
  • Why she wants to become a child psychiatrist: to give a voice to children who can’t speak up for themselves, and to design medical drugs that help kids throughout the world
  • Her advice to other homeless people: It is temporary, it is not your identity, and you deserve to be loved

You can follow Chelesa on Instagram and Facebook @chelesafearce