Growing up, Tanisha Washington dreamed about pursuing a degree in higher education and moving out of Skid Row.
Despite obstacles, she graduated from Cal State Long Beach in 2010 with a degree in computer science.
“My mom was a big part of my wanting to go to college … in the evening, when she was away at work, I loved picking up her books and browsing through them to find things I was interested in learning more about,” she said.
But when Washington’s father died, she moved with her mother and sister to Skid Row, and began attending an adult school with her sister in Los Angeles.
“[There were] days of walking nearly two hours from the campus to home because there wasn’t enough money for bus fare,” she said. “Days of wearing practically the same outfit because I didn’t have many clothes.”
She said the support of her family kept her hoping she could achieve something more.
“I always kept my focus on the bigger, brighter picture,” she said.
Washington and her sister then moved on to a community college, and, after graduating with associate degrees in information systems, they transferred to CSULB.
“I chose CSULB because I had heard so many wonderful things about it,” Washington said.
Washington won scholarships from Google, Sony, the William R. Heart Foundation and the Assistance League of Long Beach.
“These scholarships helped my sister and I purchase books and supplies, transportation, a laptop and Internet, and office clothes to go on job interviews,” she said.
Today, Washington said she has one of the “neatest” jobs in the world.
“I work in the defense industry doing computer security,” she said. “I live an incredible life where I’m happy, healthy, and able to take care of my family.”
Washington said she encourages every student to stay in school.
“Just take small step after small step, and before you know it, you’ll look back and see that you’ve accomplished so much,” she said.