17yearold Elexis Webster grew up homeless with cruel family members and serious health problems. But Webster has got over these difficulties to become an honor student at her high school.
The teen spent her childhood living in dug outs (防空洞), cars, and any place where her family could find shelter. She was treated cruelly by her mother, a drug user, who left her and her sister alone without food for days. Her older brother disturbed her study too many tunes. Her poor living conditions led to her becoming extremely weak, which caused her to miss school often.
However, she got a 4.1 GPA in the exam, though many wouldn't expect her to have such a hard life. Surviving in the family in an environment like that, she was able to come out of it, and she knew she had to make the best of what happened to her.
At 14, her mother was put in prison for leaving Webster and her sister in a car in the middle of a school day. The two girls were placed in foster care (寄养所) with a woman whom Webster still lives with. She calls her "Mema".
"Mema", who the teen sees as her mom, encouraged Webster as she returned school again. Even after missing three years of school, Webster was able to be excellent. Now Webster has planned to attend University of California at Los Angeles and study physics.
"I got to a place where I was able to keep going and push for higher than a 4.1 and push to get into a really great college or university. I see success. I see happiness and I see peace," she told KPIX 5.
