Home: A Foundation for Education

A family’s Habitat home has reshaped the future and opened doors of opportunity.

Stability for Shalanee

Shalanee was 5 in 2006, when she and her mom received the keys to their Habitat home in southeast Canton.

Now, Shalanee is a recent McKinley Senior High School graduate and the very first in her family to go to college — a milestone she and her mom say wouldn’t have been possible without the stability their home provided.

Homeownership has a major impact on educational outcomes for children: kids who grow up in homes their parents own are 19% more likely to graduate from high school and twice as likely to pursue post-secondary education. Growing up with the stability of a decent, affordable home helped Shalanee focus on doing well in school instead of worrying about where her family was going to move next.

Strength for the Future

Shalanee spent her time at McKinley participating in The Ohio State University Young Scholars Program, a rigorous program that required her to take college-preparatory classes and maintain a 3.5 GPA. Her hard work paid off, and this fall she’s headed to Ohio State with a full ride scholarship.

“It’s like living a dream through her,” Shalanee’s mom, Misty, said.

Like her daughter, Misty also attended McKinley, but the opportunities available to her after graduation were limited. When she built her home with Habitat for Humanity, Misty was working as a medical secretary and thinking about going back to school. At the time, she said she was just excited to have a home of her own where she could watch her young daughter grow and blossom.

Shalanee will move from Canton to Columbus this fall to attend OSU. Since she won’t have to repay student loans after she graduates, she plans to save the money she earns from her career and put it toward building her own home someday.

Learn More: Why Housing Matters

Millard Fuller, Founder, Habitat for Humanity:

“A house is not everything. People need to have food to eat. They’ve got to have a job. They’ve got to have clothing. They’ve got to have education. But I want to tell you something. A house is fundamental. A house is a foundation stone on which human development occurs.”

Don't miss out on the good stuff.

Get inspirational stories, media, and news when you sign up for email messages from Habitat for Humanity East Central Ohio. Make sure you never miss life-changing Habitat moments that mean the world to hard working families in our community. If you're feeling thrifty, sign up for our ReStore email alerts and we'll also make sure you know about sales and discounts that'll save you money.