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TIANNA HARRISONFounder & Executive Director"We have come dangerously close to accepting the homeless situation as a problem that we just can't solve." A quote by politician, Linda Lingle, has remained in Tianna Harrison’s heart since beginning this journey.
Born and raised in North Carolina, Tianna Harrison was taught the importance of receiving a quality education. As a product of a single parent home, she was determined to do all that she could to make a better life for herself, her mother, and those around her. Harrison attended Edgecombe Early College High School in Tarboro, NC and received her Associates Degree before she was even awarded her high school diploma. Continuing the education trend, Ms. Harrison studied at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, obtaining a B.S. in Organizational Communication in just 2.5 years. Scholastics weren’t the only thing that Tianna sought after. From a young age, she understood the importance of giving back to the community. She volunteered for whatever she could—highway clean-ups, soup kitchens, adopting children for Christmas, and the list continues. Upon graduating from UNC-C, Harrison obtained her first job in the non-profit sector. She worked for an organization whose goal was to motivate and inspire at-risk high school students to attend a college or university of their choice. During her time there, she realized that the push could not stop there. Harrison often ran into cases of students entering into college… but they never graduated. It was in this moment when Tianna decided to pursue a background in higher education. Ms. Harrison began attending Kansas State University for a Masters in Academic Advising in hopes of becoming a professional advisor in a reputable college/university to bridge the gap between college entry and college graduation. Not long after receiving her degree, God blessed her with a career as an advisor where she would soon discover her purpose. As an Academic Advisor, Tianna, came across many college students who are in academic turmoil. In her attempt to dissect some of these cases, she became aware that many of these students have inadequate housing. In other words, they are homeless. With the cost of living rate steadily increasing, it is no surprise that people have trouble with living expenses... but she was surprised to hear that more than 58,000 students across the U.S. are considered homeless. With an urge to address the issue, Housing One Student at a Time, Inc. (H.O.S.T) was born. In her words, “H.O.S.T is not here to replace college housing. It is not here to tackle the cost of living. H.O.S.T is simply here to provide an equal housing opportunity for all—for students who believe in the dream of quality education but may not necessarily have all of the resources to get it.” |
