Gene Denton 18

Out of the ten years I have spent living in South Kansas City, Missouri, I vividly remember the first time I noticed the concerning amount of homelessness in my community. On my daily bus ride to school, I saw a man in a wheelchair outside a nearby store. I learned from the other kids on my bus that he was a homeless veteran and often spent his days in the Ruskin Heights neighborhood. I still remember my first time speaking to him; My dad and I were walking out of a McDonald’s, our arms filled with food. The man sat in his wheelchair near the curb, rubbing his hands on his forearms in an attempt to shield himself from the brisk winter air. Glancing between the shivering man and the food in my hands, I begged my dad to let me give him my meal. I was blessed with a home to go to with food to eat and decided the man needed it more than I did. The grateful smile on the man’s face was worth more than any old chicken sandwich.

As months passed, seeing the man on my morning commute to school became routine. On a rainy Saturday night, news quickly spread that the man was killed in a hit-and-run. Although I barely knew him, let alone his name, that veteran’s death sparked something in me. From that day forward, I decided it was my duty to end homelessness in my community. To this day, my vision is to open homeless shelters so that no person has to be put in such a situation. Approximately 1,800 people in the Kansas City area experience homelessness, which has increased by 193% over the past few years. Although the government is taking the initiative to make a change, homelessness is still an ongoing issue.

My dream career is to be a financial advisor. A financial advisor mentors individuals when making big financial decisions such as investments, tax, and insurance. My evident passion for numbers is what inspired me to research business careers. Being a financial advisor combines my love of numbers and helping people. I plan to get a bachelor’s degree in business administration at the University of Missouri- Kansas City. Since business administration is such a broad degree, it gives me a more comprehensive range of career options, such as accounting, human resources specialist, and marketing manager. In college, I look forward to joining many clubs and organizations such as the student council, Muslim association, Pakistani association, etc.

With my degree and years of experience, I could successfully open a safe place for the homeless or even less fortunate, where they could participate in free money-management courses. Not only will they be given a temporary home, but they will also be provided with a mentor who will help them every step of the way. Participants will be assisted in finding a job, a house, and even building their credit score. They will be taught the basics of everyday tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and personal hygiene. Kids will be enrolled in schools and provided with tutors. Once a participant is financially stable, they can move out into their own house, debt free. My program’s mission is to ensure that everyone in my community has a safe and secure place to call home. No person will ever have to worry about missing out on meals just so their children can eat or being forced to sleep on the sidewalk.

Although this journey will be challenging, I can make it happen with the proper education, creativity, and determination. Slowly but surely, I will help end and prevent homelessness for good in my community.