Former Homeless OKC Student Defying The Odds In College

A high school graduate from Oklahoma City is trying to change the perception of homelessness and poverty.

Wednesday, May 7th 2014, 6:46 pm

By: News 9


A high school graduate from Oklahoma City is trying to change the perception of homelessness and poverty. She hopes to be an example to other children living in circumstances out of their control as she finishes up her first year of college.

"I just like coming out here and sitting and watching," she said.

One o'clock in the afternoon and Peggy Mosley is outside studying for exams on the campus of Oklahoma Baptist University. She cannot help but smile and take this whole experience in.

"I really love it here. The people are amazing, I've really matured a lot in who I am, artistically and emotionally."

We first met Peggy a year ago at Southeast High School, presenting her senior project, which was helping people who were homeless or living in poverty. She spoke from her heart that day, telling the teacher why the cause meant so much to her. Peggy spent time living out of the back seat of her family's car, wondering where her next meal would come from. She hid her homelessness from everyone until she got the courage to speak up and make a change.

"I was like what's going to happen the next day? Where am I going to sleep, what am I going to eat? It was, it was very hard and at first I was scared and I just, I just wanted to hide," Mosley told News 9 in 2013. "I was still scared that they would judge me and say 'oh you're homeless. The typical oh you're homeless, you don't have a shower, you stink thing, you don't have food,' it really scared me."

Just a year later, Peggy is now a freshman in college and she openly shares her story with others hoping to make a difference.

"Poverty is a big deal and there are people who just glance over it and then when you realize who is really affected by it, and what really goes on, it changes you, it has to change you."

Peggy said it happens one person at a time but says each mind changed puts an even bigger smile on her face.

"Right now I'm at the happiest I've ever been," said Mosley. "It's a crazy balance of everything but I hope I'm getting it right."

Peggy said she would be walking across the stage in three years as the first college graduate in her family.

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