Academic

Once homeless, city attorney tells her story to inspire others

"I had the dream of being a lawyer since I was a little girl and it was a long and difficult process with failure along the way, but I got to live my dream," said Nikki Johnson-Huston.

"It was scary and fearful and confusing. You don't know a lot, but you know that it's probably not how things are supposed to be."

That's how Nikki Johnson-Huston described her experience with homelessness when she was 9 years old. With her mother battling alcoholism, the family's life unraveled. They began living in hotels, on the streets, and then at a Salvation Army shelter. They ate meals at a rescue mission.

Today, she's a lawyer for the city of Philadelphia and makes it her mission to tell the homeless about the opportunities available to them and provide the support needed to get back on track.

Read the Philadelphia Daily News article here.

Full post as published by the 13th juror on December 04, 2010 (boomark / email).