Crystal Escobar was the homecoming queen at William Chrisman High School in Independence, Missouri. On the outside, she was every bit the perfect teenager… a good student and a popular cheerleader. But Crystal's classmates and teachers had no idea of the stunning truth.
Crystal was homeless.
By the time Crystal was 15 years old, she knew her survival depended on herself, since her parents offered no stability. After mustering the courage to reach out for help, a former dance teacher allowed Crystal to move into an empty duplex. Crystal lived alone, got herself to and from school, and worked three jobs to keep herself afloat. No one at school had any idea of Crystal's dark secret. "I would come home, I would shower, I would go to school, and I would do my homework in the parking lot," she told KMBC. "And then after that I would go to my other job, and then I would come to cheerleading practice. And then I would do it all over again."
Crystal also tried to take care of her younger brother, but eventually, she grew so exhausted that she kept falling asleep in class. That's when the high school counselor realized something wasn't right — and she ultimately helped change Crystal's life forever.
Just wait until you meet this incredible young woman and inspiring role model, and see how far she's come.
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