Waheed is a quiet young man, shy and unassuming. He is soft-spoken but seems sure of himself and ready to put in as much work as is necessary to change his life. He is a resident in Our House’s transitional shelter along with his mother and 4 siblings who range in age from 10 years down to 10 months. He enjoys drawing and doing 3D modeling on his laptop. He skateboards and listens to music. His favorites include hip-hop from the 90s and early 2000s as well as “classic rock, like 80s, 70s,” he states. He is 18 and in his senior year at a high school in Stone Mountain. When asked what’s the thing he likes most about school he states, “Stone Mountain is not a relatively large school so it’s fairly close and you tend to know everyone you’re going to school with, and the teachers, so you can build up a community there.” Despite having just turned 18 in December and residing in a shelter, Waheed has big dreams.

After four years of Naval JROTC in high school, he wants to enlist in the Navy when he graduates to do mechanical engineering. He’s tightly focused on his goal. “I want to do [work with] large machinery, specifically planes,” he said. Waheed is also supremely pragmatic. When asked whether he wants to make a career out of the Navy or just stay for a little bit he answers with a brief flash of a smile, “I’ll know when I get there.”

Waheed received a bike from the GA Tech Police Department as a Christmas gift and was excited about it, despite not expecting it. “I didn’t really want anything [for Christmas] specifically. It was a nice surprise.” He has spent more time with the GA Tech PD since then and it’s not hard to see why the officers were drawn to him. He’s a clear-eyed realist with a good heart who has had to grow up fast. He cares for his siblings when his mother is working even though he would probably rather be doing the normal things any other 18- year-old boy would like to do. He has experienced homelessness and has come up with a plan to better his situation.

When asked about his hopes and dreams, his response is simple. “I mean, I just want to get to a place in life where I can be comfortable,” he says. He wants the same for his mother and siblings who are experiencing homelessness with him “I just want my mom and all my siblings to be in a place where we’re comfortable.”