Dr. Phil Foundation

Melissa

Click here for Melissa's story on DrPhil.com

"The most difficult part of growing up for me was having to grow up faster than my peers," says 18-year-old Melissa. She was forced to take care of her parents and younger sister because her parents abused drugs and alcohol from as far back as she can remember. When her dad got off drugs, he would go through withdrawals and become very violent and aggressive. "He would loom over the three of us with rage," she explains. One time, he even pulled a gun and pointed it at her mom's head.

From the time Melissa was 11 to 13 years old, periodically she, her mom and sister would have to pack their bags and find someone to stay with during the night so that they would be away from her father. Her dad frequently lost his job, often not working for up to two years at a time, causing enormous financial strain on the family. Eventually, her mom kicked her dad out of the house, and he became a homeless drug addict living on the street.

Melissa kept her home life a secret from friends and teachers for fear they would judge her. As she entered high school, Melissa realized that she didn't have to be like her parents. She decided to take all of their positive attributes and enhance them within herself. She excelled in school academics and sports; maintaining a 3.9 GPA and being the co-captain of the varsity high school basketball team. She is also the sports editor of the high school yearbook, member of class council and is the president of the California Scholarship Foundation. Melissa will be entering UC Berkeley in the fall, majoring in business. Her dream job is to be a sports team manager. "I believe anything you want to achieve, you can achieve, and that there's nothing that can hinder you," she says. "I believe the sky's the limit!"

Through The Dr. Phil Foundation's collaboration with the Children's Defense Fund's Beat the Odds® program, Melissa received $50,000 from Ditech Lending to help pay for the cost of her college tuition, room and board. The Foundation also arranged for Melissa to have a Dell Computer to take to college, and Nextel phones for her, her mom and her younger sister, so they can stay in contact. The WNBA team, the Los Angeles Sparks, was so moved by her story, they have offered Melissa a summer internship with them once she completes her first year of college.

To help give a fresh start to a kid like Melissa