A Grace College student, Jamall Werling, who has overcome some large obstacles to get to school was interviewed this week by WNDU, the NBC station in South Bend, Ind. A portion of the story appears below. Click here to read the complete article and see the complete story as broadcast.
Resilient foster child with big dreams enrolls at Grace College
Grace College welcomed students back to campus this fall and unveiled this year’s campus theme: journey. That word really resonated with an incoming freshman, whose own journey has been full of challenges.
“A lot of people say I’m crazy for smiling so much,” said Jamall Werling. “I don’t know why I smile a lot.”
18 year old Werling has one of those thousand watt smiles; a smile that’s never faded through his own difficult journey.
“My mom couldn’t take care of me and sent me to live with my grandparents,” Werling said. “I went to 5 different schools in three years.”
And then, a day Jamall will never forget.
“Second semester freshman year, I remember getting on the bus and police cars show up,” Werling said. “They took my mom out as the bus drove away.”
At age 15, he entered the foster care system. As he moved between foster homes, he continued to focus on school and working towards a brighter future.
“That’s when I met Steve and Ashley Smith and I call them my parents now,” Werling said. “Not only did I get my name legally changed, they’ve provided and looked out for me in the darkest moments.”
Click here to see the complete story as broadcast.
