By: Markincia Jean
Contributor
Kemar Asphall (Right), with Theatrical Players Club members. From left to right: Genesis Acevedo, Albert Pagan, Cindell Torress, and Angelica Lara
by Markincia Jean
Kemar Asphall is a student who engages in class discussions with a sense of will and gratitude, projecting his crisp, clear voice to speak with fluid diction. His fashion style reflects that of modern trends, his tall and proper stature commands the room, and his wide–open smile shows appreciation for life itself and the determination to persevere despite obstacles that interfere with a dream far in the distance. By his appearance, one would never have guessed he was once homeless.
“An education, in my definition, is a lifestyle that plays on the concept of intellectual curiosity, a natural component that we all have from birth that helps us mature in life,” Aspall said.
Asphall, a John Jay College junior, was homeless three years ago. He lost his job, became homeless, and went from one shelter to another, lacking financial, social and family support, which made his freshman year much more difficult and stressful.
Balancing his academic career and his homelessness was challenging because he was unaware of the resources available. Although he would have qualified for the SEEK program, he did not know about it until his junior year, and now it is too late for him to apply. The SEEK program is administered by CUNY, giving low-income college students financial access to education.
Asphall’s family has been embroiled in the homeless culture. He is a first generation college student and most of his family members are dispersed and currently experiencing some degree of homelessness. Two of his younger brothers live in a homeless shelter with his mother, who has been living there for more than six years.
Ma’at Erica Lewis is an associate professor and the Interim Director of the Department of Counseling at John Jay. Her decision to volunteer as a peer counselor at Morgan State University, in Maryland, inspired her to become a professional counselor.
What she has learned about human nature is that, “people are resilient, [and] able to overcome adversity with little support. Sometimes people can flourish and go beyond challenges they face in life.”
Lewis said providing services in a school environment is helpful to students. Students’ familiarity with the campus environment enables them to become more comfortable and aware, allowing them to take advantage of the services covered by CUNY tuition.
Students who are homeless can become knowledgeable about resources. Such resources include financial, emotional, and social support. According to the November 2012 – October 2013 Annual Report, the Petrie Emergency Fund provided the John Jay’s Department of Counseling with a three year $300,000 grant to support homeless students in crisis. The grant will encourage them to stay in school and complete a college degree. Each grant recipient received an average of $791, which is meant to cover transportation, textbooks, food costs, medical emergencies, and replacing clothes and supplies lost in house fires.
Asphall said the Department of Counseling must use more effective advertisement strategies to attract students who can benefit from such services. Asphall did not know about the counseling center until this year.
The primary concerns of homeless college students. Lewis said, are the lack of financial resources available, family stress, chronic poverty, and lack of social support. “The counseling center has difficulty due to inadequate funding for programs, which hinders the process of change and can prevent students from receiving benefits,” she added.
Asandre Mattis, Asphall’s brother and a Kingsborough Community College freshman, has been living in a group home shelter for three years. He is quite reserved and does not mingle much with the others in the group home. Despite that, he was willing to share his story. He spoke in a tense, deep voice, using quick and short phrases.
“I try to make everyday a regular day,” Mattis said. His future goal is to become a video-game designer. His short-term goal is to be an apartment tenant and become independent of the homeless system. His motto is to, “Never give up and never let things get to you.”
Mattis has learned that, “Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it.” His hobbies include drawing cartoon animations, reading comic books and playing chess, which comes easy to him.
“I have become more like Kemar, more optimistic,” Mattis said about Asphall. “They never see me mad, I just laugh about everything,” Mattis said about his family.
Asphall admitted that Financial Aid dependency inadequately sustains basic needs. He occasionally received money from members of his extended family.
“Often people are trained intellectually and culturally to see things through one perspective, whereas homelessness is an extreme,” Asphall said.
“Cost-effectiveness is out the door when you can’t afford something, but when you can afford it, it becomes useful. Homelessness forces people to unitize their limited resources and budget effectively, ” said Asphall. He reinforced that experience brings about knowledge.
Asphall is the Vice President of the Theatrical Players Club. He said that his commitment to various extracurricular activities serves as a distraction from issues within his personal life, though he said that distractions often are a bad thing, causing him to ignore his reality. He also works for the Child Center of New York, which offers social work and family counseling.
In 2011, Asphall became a permanent resident in his grandparents’ house. Asphall said he never physically lived on the street but he was legally considered homeless. He went through a homeless evaluation and confirmation process in a 24-hour hotel setting and the next day he was assigned to a homeless shelter.
Although he lived in a shelter for one year, he was legally considered homeless for two years. Asphall said he was confined to the rules and regulations of the shelter. He had a midnight curfew and if he were to violate it, he would have been kicked out of the shelter. He did not attend his high school prom and graduation not only for financial reasons, but also because he thought seeking the permission of the social workers to take a day off was not only humiliating, but it would have taken too much of his time and energy.
“I did not like the idea of confinement. It is harsh when you are dictated by an institution,” Asphall said.
After leaving the shelter Asphall temporarily “couch-surfed” with relatives from his extended family and friends.
Asphall said his long-term goal is to have a career in law and theater. “Addressing the law through theater has a therapeutic essence. I can reach more people intellectually through theater. Through any given performance, I can carry out a message that will point out an error in the legal system.”
Asphall said sharing his story will help broaden his horizons and help him feel more comfortable and confident.