'I studied by the light of a cellphone when the shelter lights went off': Homeless teen graduates as valedictorian while her salutatorian sister cheers her on

A hard-working teenager who spent most of her high-school years in homeless shelters, or even living in her mother's car, graduated as valedictorian of her class last week.

Chelesa Fearce , 17, achieved a 4.466 GPA at Charles Drew High School in Georgia but admits that sometimes she had to study by the light of a cellphone when the lights in the shelter were turned off.

There was another big reason to celebrate for the proud family when her older sister Chelsea graduated from a different school as salutatorian. ' I’m the oldest, but she’s the smartest, ' Chelsea modestly said.

Proud: Sisters Chelesa (right) and Chelsea (left) graduated as valedictorian and salutatorian respectively, despite spending many of their high-school years homeless

Against the odds: In her speech, Chelesa, 17, said: 'My family slept on mats on the floor and we were lucky if we got more than one full meal a day.'

The valedictorian told WSBTV.com that working hard and a positive attitude were responsible for her achievements, even at the most difficult times.



'I just told myself to keep working, because the future will not be like this anymore,' Fearce said.

'You're worried about your home life and then worried at school. Worry about being a little hungry sometimes, go hungry sometimes. You just have to deal with it. You eat what you can, when you can,' she added.

'Don't give up. Do what you have to do right now so that you can have the future that you want,' Fearce said.

Happy: The girls' mother Reenita Shephard (left) says she read to her daughters a lot while salutatorian Chelsea (right) said of her sister: 'I'm the oldest, but she's the smartest.'



In a powerful speech to school-mates at her graduation ceremony Fearce said: 'I know I have been made stronger. I was homeless.



'My family slept on mats on the floor and we were lucky if we got more than one full meal a day. Getting a shower, food and clean clothes was an everyday struggle.'

Her sister Chelsea graduated from George Washington Carver High School in Atlanta as salutatorian .

She turned up with the rest of the family to cheer Chelesa on Thursday, wearing a T-shirt that featured both of their faces and the words 'started from the bottom.'



Bright future: Chelesa's scores have been so good that she will enroll at Spelman College for pre-med biology as a college junior

The girls' proud mother, Reenita Shephard, told WSBTV that the family occasionally had an apartment but when she was laid off from her job they ended up back in a shelter.

Shepherd said her daughter's achievements made her extremely happy and that she ' read to them a lot' when they were growing up.

'Everything was a learning experience,' the mother added. The technique has paid off .

Chelesa's scores have been so good that she will enroll at Spelman College for pre-med biology as a college junior.

Her sister will attend West Georgia University and hopes to major in criminal justice.