Chaltu arrived at Mercy Home as a struggling seventh grader with a strained relationship with her mother.
Now, after the longest stint of any resident at our Girls Home, she is a confident and accomplished college student eager to see what her future holds.
Chaltu was adopted from Ethiopia when she was 18 months old. She came to Mercy Home in response to the difficult relationship she had with her adoptive mother and because of her grades, which were failing due to an inadequately-treated learning disorder.
After coming to Mercy Home, Chaltu excelled. With the support of Mercy Home’s staff and her tutors, she raised her grades enough to be accepted into Advanced Placement classes her junior and senior years of high school. She also discovered a love of history, and was elected the president of the history club at her high school.
In recognition of her incredible progress, Chaltu was awarded the Mary Dempsey scholarship, which is given every year at a ceremony celebrating the academic achievements of Mercy Home’s young people.
“I felt like my efforts paid off,” Chaltu said. “Even though I don’t have perfect grades, people recognized me for my hard work.”
“Chaltu is not one to give up,” said Liz Mulligan, who was Chaltu’s Education Coordinator at Mercy Home. “She has a consistent desire and drive to learn. There is no doubt in my mind that she will continue her goals and dreams in college, and beyond.”
