WASHINGTON 鈥� For some kids, attending college is an expectation, a foregone conclusion, barring extraordinary circumstances. But when you鈥檙e an adolescent just becoming aware of your family鈥檚 status in society and you find yourself living at a homeless shelter, college can seem like an unattainable fantasy.
That鈥檚 the situation into which Robert Morina was thrust in eighth grade, his single father on disability, trying to raise Robert and his younger brother. By the time Morina enrolled at Eastern High School a few blocks away from D.C. General, he knew if he was going to find a better life for himself, he was going to have to pour everything into working for it.
鈥淜nowing what my father was going through, I knew I needed to support him,鈥� Morina told 草莓传媒.
Football, a sport neither he nor anyone in his family had played, became an avenue to connect with his peers and give himself a way to belong. Self-described as anti-social, Morina threw himself into both athletics and church activities, racking up a laundry list of positions at the Young People鈥檚 Department of the Pilgrim African Methodist Episcopal Church. He was pushed to volunteer, and once he started, he never stopped.
He鈥檚 done work for Sons of Allen鈥檚 Men鈥檚 Ministry Food Pantry Distributions, packing up food for the needy. He鈥檚 helped the Takin鈥� it to the Street Projects for the Homeless, the Shepherd Park Kiwanis and the SHARE Warehouse, an affordable food program. While many teens put in time volunteering, it鈥檚 safe to say few understood the value of their particular work as much as Morina.
鈥淚t helped me be more connected to people,鈥� he said.
On the football field, as the center and long-snapper, he grew into his own and was named captain his senior year. Between sports and his extracurricular activities, filling every moment of the day kept him laser focused, full steam ahead toward his goal of going to college.
鈥淚t was all of it,鈥� he said of his motivation.
Morina recently got an assist toward his dream in the form of a DCSAA Student-Athlete Academic Scholarship, as he became one of 16 District students to earn $1,000 toward his studies. It鈥檚 the third year of the partnership between DCSAA, Wendy鈥檚 and Modell鈥檚 Sporting Goods, who have teamed up to give a total of 53 such scholarships.
But despite a 3.66 GPA, Morina has one more hurdle to clear to actually get himself to college. He鈥檚 been accepted to Morgan State鈥檚 Center for Academic Success and Achievement (CASA) Academy, an academic transition program designed to help ready graduating seniors for the rigors of the next level. If he completes that, he鈥檒l be enrolled at Morgan State in the fall, where he hopes to major in computer science.
Morina seems to know that even if he completes the program, he won鈥檛 be crossing a finish line as much as starting a new race. He鈥檚 unsure if he鈥檒l try to walk on to the football team yet, but whether he plays in college or not, Morina鈥檚 story serves as a reminder of the value of youth sports, including football, amid the risks. And he鈥檚 determined to succeed at whatever he does the same way he got where he is today.
鈥淛ust stay focused on my work,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檒l look back on what I鈥檝e done and never stop working hard.鈥�
