Beverly White, Sean Browning
Kesia Ordono says it’s a huge relief that her son Benjamin’s college tuition will be paid for thanks to the non-profit "I Have A Dream" Foundation, Los Angeles. Beverly White reports from Watts for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Sept. 12, 2012.
Third graders at 99th Street Elementary came to school on Wednesday with big smiles and special t-shirts, and left with the promise of a fully-funded college education from the non-profit "I Have A Dream" Foundation, Los Angeles.
"Millions of dollars are going to be invested in their opportunity to go to college," said John Deasy, superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). "We will back the dream."
The foundation has supported kids nationwide since 1987, including real estate agent Shaniece Thompson.
"My family got me ready. 'I Have a Dream' stood by my side. Did all of my applications, and we did it," Thompson said. "I graduated Cal State Dominguez in 2003."
Kesia Ordono, mother of seven, is thrilled that her son Benjamin is now a Dreamer.
"It's so much enjoyment, because he's my last baby," Ordono said. "It's a lot of struggling for me."
Organizers are seeking for donors to do even more.
"This is our 18th group of dreamers," said Katy Garretson, of IHAD-LA. "Sometimes we do it year after year after year. It's all based on funding."
