Stephanie Shaia was diagnosed with Malignant Multiple Sclerosis at the tender age of 16. She literally went from playing softball every day to being paralyzed for hours at a time, too weak to move.

Children who have to navigate the harsh reality of homelessness on top of poverty often fall through our already porous safety nets and disproportionately drop out of school and then, too often, drop into the prison pipeline.

"Something that I've learned from my mentor is always pay things forward, not necessarily with money, but with actions and deeds. You're not alone. You're not the only one out there in a bad situation. Beat the odds and you'll succeed."

Studies imply that more than 80 percent of dropouts would have stayed in school if they believed it was more relevant to real life. Learning how to run a small business can help kids see how their core classes aren't just cruel tortures from adults.