At just 10 years old, Tasha knew hunger, cold, and fear more than bedtime stories. Her mother battled addiction. Her father was gone. They lived in shelters, buses, sometimes the street.

But Tasha had something few others did—an unstoppable desire to learn. She read every book she could find in libraries. A social worker noticed her and helped her apply to a school for gifted youth.

By 16, she had a scholarship. By 22, she gave a speech at Harvard’s graduation. “I came from nowhere,” she said. “But my future was built by people who believed in me—before I could believe in myself.”

Now, she runs a foundation that supports homeless youth in education. Her past gave her pain, but also purpose.