Phil Kadner, a columnist for the Daily Southtown, launched his new monthly column for the Chicago Sun-Times by profiling 2008 CCH scholarship winner Crystal Montanez.

In his column, Kadner discusses the Chicago Public Schools' new data on
unaccompanied homeless youth--kids and teens who are living on their
own without family or adult supervision. CPS has identified 2,096
unaccompanied homeless youth currently enrolled in the school system.

Kadner quotes Crystal, a former unaccompanied homeless youth who is now a
freshman at the University of Wisconsin, Madison: "I was working 30
hours a week in a retail store, so that gave me enough money to keep gas in the car, clean my clothes at a laundromat
and occasionally pay rent when I stayed with friends. But I
didn't have time to play, like the rest of the kids. I knew I had
to study. I knew that was the only way to get to college and
change my life."

CCH works to support students like Crystal through its Law Project, whose
attorneys focus their casework on helping homeless kids access the
public schools; through advocacy to increase the shelter beds and other
resources available statewide for homeless youth; through a youth
attorney who runs a mobile legal clinic that targets its outreach to
unaccompanied homeless youth; and through a scholarship program for
graduating seniors planning to attend college who experienced
homelessness while in high school.

Read Kadner's column, "Homeless students face tough hurdles," here.

Read more about CCH's 2008 scholarship winners here.