By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Bowie High School senior Reuven Raper-Ostrow wrote an English essay last October exploring homelessness in education. He asked the reader to imagine if you went through high school not knowing where you were going to sleep? How would you react? Would you stay in school or drop out? Would you turn to drugs or crime?
Reuven was about to start his senior year last summer when he found himself homeless after a confrontation with his father. He was alone and the choices loomed large.
Friday night this 17-year-old graduate grabs that hard-fought-for diploma and walks toward his future with pride and determination.
It has been a difficult and trying path for this senior, but to understand how he overcame the many obstacles to graduate Reuven shares his story.
While the idea of a teen being homeless may seem strange, it is more common than one may think. A recent study has shown one in 30 students ages 13 to 17 have experienced homelessness in the past year. That figure represents about 700,000 young people nationwide.
Homelessness evokes a vision of people living on the street or in a shelter, but it takes many other forms. The government defines it as “those who lack a fixed regular and adequate nighttime residence.”
When this happens to students it can cause stress and anxiety to the already pressure-filled world of high school. Instead of focusing on good grades and future planning, these students often worry about the basic necessities such as food, clothing and shelter. They can often fall through the cracks of society.

Read the full feature in your weekend Bowie News.