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Valencia McMurray has been on her own almost two years. She’s been homeless for about a year and a half of that time. But she’s managed to do something less than a quarter of homeless teens do: she graduated from high school. Valencia tells her story about struggling to stay in school and succeeding on her own:
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Piece Description
Valencia McMurray has been on her own almost two years. She’s been homeless for about a year and a half of that time. But she’s managed to do something less than a quarter of homeless teens do: she graduated from high school. Valencia tells her story about struggling to stay in school and succeeding on her own:
Broadcast History
MPR News
BBC Americana
Intro and Outro
INTRO:It’s hard enough graduating from high school for teens under normal circumstances. Imagine what it’s like for homeless teens.
Valencia [vah-LEN-see-ah] McMurray was on her own almost two years. She was homeless for about a year and a half of that time. But she’s managed to do something less than a quarter of homeless teens do: she graduated from high school.
As part of Minnesota Public Radio’s Youth Radio Series, Valencia borrowed a recording kit to tell her story about struggling to stay in school…. and succeeding on her own:
OUTRO:Backannounce: Valencia’s story is part of Minnesota Public Radio’s Youth Radio Series produced by Sasha Aslanian. You can see video of Valencia performing one of her poems and hear her audio diary at mprnewsq.org.


