MURRIETA, CA — Elijah O’Leary didn’t believe he would ever graduate high school after his mother was incarcerated and he fell into homelessness as a teenager. But this June, he graduated with a 4.03 GPA and honors from Tahquitz High School in Hemet.
Months later, he was selected for the 2024 National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) Scholarship, an award he accepted on Nov. 18.
“we are honored to support you as you work toward your educational and career goals,” NAEHCY wrote in a press release.
While O’Leary thanks his great aunt for rescuing him from homelessness and giving him a loving home, he credits success in large part to the Community Outreach Ministry (COM), a nonprofit serving at-risk youth impacted by parental incarceration in Southwest Riverside County.
“I now have hope for the future, something I never thought I’d have before,” O’Leary said, reflecting on his journey with COM.
O’Leary credits COM for opening numerous doors. Through COM, he was selected for the Give Back Scholarship Program to support his college education. The organization also helped him secure an internship at the Riverside Art Museum.
As a child of just 3 years old, O’Leary remembers getting gifts at COM’s annual Angel Tree Christmas Party. When he grew older, he would jump in to volunteer for the party.
“Serving these kids at the COM Angel Tree Christmas Party makes me feel good and means a lot to kids like me who have been left behind by their incarcerated parent(s),” O’Leary wrote in a release. “I can identify with these kids.”
This year’s event will be held Dec. 14 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Gateway Church of the Nazarene in Murrieta.
O’Leary is now pursuing a career in sports photography and videography and has already built a sizable portfolio. Recently, he was granted a media day pass to the Dallas Cowboys Training Camp. He is currently attending a junior college, with plans to transfer to a four-year university.
For more information about Community Outreach Ministry or to support their efforts, visit communityoutreachministry.org or contact the organization at 951-698-7650.
