2008 Woodie Awards
From dark streets to Lighthouse for Dreams
Jillian Krotki
Issue date: 4/28/08 Section: News
Lalita Booth went from being a homeless, divorced mother to being a successful student and founder of a financial literacy program in just seven years.
Her parents divorced when she was young, and she began running away at age 12. By 15, she had run away numerous times and had hitched a ride with a trucker to a different state, not returning home until a month later.
When she turned 16, Booth became legally emancipated from her parents and quickly found herself living on the streets.
Booth married young at 17, but her circumstances didn't improve.
Three months after she married, she realized she was pregnant. Two and a half years later, Booth was back at square one: divorced, homeless and this time with a child.
After numerous moves and coming to the realization that there was no way she could possibly support herself and her 2-year-old son, she was forced to send the baby to live with her ex-husband's parents.
"I didn't see my son for seven months," Booth said. "He was my motivation. I wanted to wake up and be someone my son was proud of."
Booth moved to Colorado and began working odd jobs. Making $6.50 an hour, she knew she wouldn't be able to support her son, but taking a promotion eliminated her welfare.
She was fortunate enough to find a financial adviser who was willing to meet with her for free. Together, they figured out how much she would need to earn in order to make ends meet. Booth found out there was a license she could get without attending school that would boost her up to $32,000 a year, the Enrolled Agent license.
"I have a pretty photographic memory," Booth said, "so I just read all 4,000 pages in the study guide and ended up passing."
The licensing test takes 16 hours, divided between two days, and is run by the IRS.
Booth got her son back, moved to Florida and began attending Seminole Community College in 2004.
"I think community colleges are a great opportunity for people to get their life back on track," Booth said. "I could never have been accepted into a university at that time."
Her parents divorced when she was young, and she began running away at age 12. By 15, she had run away numerous times and had hitched a ride with a trucker to a different state, not returning home until a month later.
When she turned 16, Booth became legally emancipated from her parents and quickly found herself living on the streets.
Booth married young at 17, but her circumstances didn't improve.
Three months after she married, she realized she was pregnant. Two and a half years later, Booth was back at square one: divorced, homeless and this time with a child.
After numerous moves and coming to the realization that there was no way she could possibly support herself and her 2-year-old son, she was forced to send the baby to live with her ex-husband's parents.
"I didn't see my son for seven months," Booth said. "He was my motivation. I wanted to wake up and be someone my son was proud of."
Booth moved to Colorado and began working odd jobs. Making $6.50 an hour, she knew she wouldn't be able to support her son, but taking a promotion eliminated her welfare.
She was fortunate enough to find a financial adviser who was willing to meet with her for free. Together, they figured out how much she would need to earn in order to make ends meet. Booth found out there was a license she could get without attending school that would boost her up to $32,000 a year, the Enrolled Agent license.
"I have a pretty photographic memory," Booth said, "so I just read all 4,000 pages in the study guide and ended up passing."
The licensing test takes 16 hours, divided between two days, and is run by the IRS.
Booth got her son back, moved to Florida and began attending Seminole Community College in 2004.
"I think community colleges are a great opportunity for people to get their life back on track," Booth said. "I could never have been accepted into a university at that time."