Homeless teen lands a spot at college with his basketball skills

A teen who spent most of his high school years homeless has started his freshman year at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, after being recruited to play basketball for the historically black college. 

Jeremiah Armstead, 19, was a sophomore when he moved to California with his mother, brother, and sister, Fox 11 Los Angeles reported. The family has spent the past three years sleeping in their car and in domestic violence shelters. 

The teen, who graduated from Long Beach Polytechnic High School this spring, started his first semester at Fisk earlier this month. 

‘I’m not surprised Jeremiah is where he’s at today,’ Armstead’s mother Mindy Brooks told ABC News. ‘I’m not surprised because he’s always been a good person.’

The teen was a sophomore in high school when he moved to California with his mother, brother, and sister, who are now living in a domestic violence shelter 

Armstead (pictured with his mother Mindy Brooks) and his family have also had to sleep in their car while struggling with housing insecurity over the past three years 

Armstead’s family, coaches, and community leaders all worked to help the basketball player get into college while he balanced housing insecurity with his high school workload. 

Keisha Daniels, the co-founder of the non-profit Sister of Watts, reached out to We Educate Brilliant Minds on Armstead’s behalf. The organization helps students get into historically black colleges (HBCUs). 

‘I was bringing smarts, of course, but it was hard to do that being homeless and juggling everything, like domestic violence situations, just stuff like that,’ he told ABC News. ‘Living in a shelter, living in a car — it was hard to think, go to school, worry about my mom or my brother, my sister.’ 

Armstead, who graduated from Long Beach Polytechnic High School this spring, never told his friends he was homeless. They often wondered why he would get dropped off at 7-Eleven

Armstead’s family, coaches, and community leaders all worked to help the basketball player get into college

Armstead was staying at a friend’s house when his mom called to tell him he had been accepted into Fisk, a historically black college 

Armstead kept his family’s struggles with domestic violence and homelessness to himself. Brooks explained that his son’s friends were unaware of his situation and often wondered why he would ask to be dropped off at 7-Eleven. 

He was staying at a friend’s house the morning she called to tell him that he had been accepted into Fisk. 

Armstead’s acceptance letter came complete with his student ID welcoming him into the class of 2026, a symbol of all of the hardships he had overcome. 

As a member of the Fisk University men’s basketball team, he is working with former LA Clippers basketball player Kenneth Anderson, who is the head coach

Armstead (pictured with his brother) has also motivated his younger siblings to start thinking about college thanks to his success

‘I just want to show people that’s in my circumstances like, don’t stop,’ Armstead told Good Morning America. ‘Don’t ever think of giving up because just like that, stuff could change’

As a member of the Fisk University men’s basketball team, he is working with former LA Clippers basketball player Kenneth Anderson, who is the head coach. 

Anderson told ABC News that he was impressed by the teen’s demeanor and work ethic, which he felt would make him the right fit for the team. 

Armstead, who studying kinesiology, has also motivated his younger siblings to start thinking about college thanks to his success. 

‘I just want to show people that’s in my circumstances like, don’t stop,’ he said. ‘Don’t ever think of giving up because just like that, stuff could change.’