One Fort Worth student recently overcame incredible odds to not only graduate from high school but to get accepted to the school of his dreams.
Cameron Sanders was part of Trimble Tech High School June 2015 graduating class and will be going to the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York starting next week, reports KXAS-TV.
For Sanders, this is a dream come true, and one that he can hardly believe he was able to reach, because just before his senior year started, he left home.
Watch a full report on Cameron Sanders incredible journey below:
“I used to live with my mom until the situation got bad,” the teen said. “I had to get a job and got a place to live. I have to pay for school, pay for food, pay for rent. So, I didn’t have enough money to put back for college.”
Sanders still has a hard time talking about the decision to leave his mother and four younger siblings, though he does hope that he can help them once he has gotten himself secure in his future.
Natasha Bruton, a chef and teacher who started Trimble Tech’s award-winning Culinary Arts Program, has been encouraging him to keep going and to chase his dreams ever since she met him. “I see it in his eyes, that he wants it. He has a passion. He has a love for what we do,” she said.
“The day he got accepted [to CIA] is something I’ll never forget, “ Bruton says.
“I got the call in class.” Sanders recalled. “Yes, I got in trouble for answering it, but it was worth it.”
“He’s crying and trembling and he’s like ‘CIA wants me. I’m gonna be among the elite, the best.’ And, I said ‘Yes sir, you are’,” said Bruton.
But when it came down to paying for his education, Sanders hit a snag. The financial aid paperwork was not filed correctly, and he would not be able to afford to go to CIA otherwise. So, Bruton helped out by digging into her own funds and also started a GoFundMe page.
“He has this dream and to see that somebody’s gonna crush his dream, I felt like it was my place to make him believe as much as I believed in him,” Bruton said. “I want him to be successful and have a career and live the dreams he wants to live and not be held back by something as silly as ‘I can’t go to college because I was homeless and didn’t have enough money to go.’”
Then, when Russell Kirkpatrick, the co-founder of the Fort Worth Food and Wine Festival, heard about the situation, he pulled together a committee meeting to see what they could do about getting Sanders a scholarship.
“The thing that blew me away was the half-dozen recommendation letters from teachers and administrators at the school. Not one had one bit of hesitation that Cameron would succeed,” Kirkpatrick said. The foundation awarded Sanders a $9,000 scholarship. “His dedication and tenacity to succeed are inspiring and we are grateful that we have this opportunity to assist such a deserving young man,” said Kirkpatrick.
“I am so happy for Cameron,” said Bruton. “He is living his dream. What more could you ask for? I feel like I’m in a Disney movie with a happy ending.”