Why Rashema Melson Left Georgetown

Death, Sex & Money

Slate Audio

Careers, Sexuality, Business, Health & Fitness, Relationships, Society & Culture

4.6 • 7.7K Ratings

🗓️ 5 April 2017

⏱️ 13 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When we met Rashema Melson during her sophomore year at Georgetown University, she was tired of people calling her "the homeless valedictorian." A lot's changed in her life since then. Support Death, Sex & Money by becoming a monthly sustaining member. Sign up now. We have a weekly newsletter! And we think you'll really like it. Sign up here: deathsexmoney.org/newsletter. Follow the show on Twitter @deathsexmoney and Facebook at facebook.com/deathsexmoney. Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, it's Anna. Something we do here at Death Sex and Money is we stay in touch with people
0:11.0	long after they've been on the show show because that's part of the idea.
0:15.0	The kinds of stories we tell keep unfolding.
0:18.6	They don't have an end.
0:20.2	So today we wanted to bring you an update about Rashima Melson.
0:23.6	She was on the show in late 2015 when she was finishing up her fall semester of her sophomore year
0:28.9	at Georgetown in DC. That episode was called Stop Calling Me the Homeless valedictorian.
0:35.0	It's on our website at deathsexmoney.org.
0:38.0	Rashima lived in a homeless shelter for three years before starting at Georgetown,
0:42.0	and her story got a lot of press.
0:45.4	When we talked in her dorm she'd gotten tired of all the attention.
0:49.0	It's always the list they have.
0:50.5	It's like, oh my God, are you Rishima? I'm like yes you a violent Victorian. Yes. You were in a homeless shelter. Yes. Oh my god and I'm just like it's annoying sometimes because it's like I wish you people would just stop calling me that
1:04.1	like that's I'm not the homeless valedictorian like I'm Rishima Nelson.
1:09.1	Still out of that media attention Rishima got a lot of support, including online donations.
1:15.4	She kept up a personal website, RashimaMelson.com, and she'd post occasional video
1:20.0	updates there.
1:21.0	A few months ago, I was checking the site and found out she was leaving Georgetown.
1:25.0	I'll be leaving D.C. and transfer into a new school and I'll be living on
1:31.0	base with my husband.
1:32.6	And it's a decision that I thought really long about.
1:36.6	And I felt like it was the right decision for me.
	...

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