>> WALKING DOWN THE HALLS OF HOOVER HIGH SCHOOL FEELS A LITTLE SURREAL. >> IT’S SO WEIRD. >> BUT, JUDGING BY THESE SPECIAL REUNIONS WITH FORMER TEACHERS, THIS SMILE, AND THAT INFECTIOUS% LAUGH ONE MIGHT IMAGINE MONAE , WOODS HAD A TEXTBOOK HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE. >> WHATEVER I HAD TO DO, I JUST GOT IT DONE. >> HER FAMILY EXPERIENCED SOME HARDSHIP MONAE’S JUNIOR YEAR. HER MOM NEEDED TO MOVE, BUT BEING SO CLOSE TO GRADUATING -- >> IT LOOKED LIKE I WASN’T GOING TO MAKE IT. >> SO SHE GOT HER OWN APARTMENT AND STAYED BEHIND. WHEN LIFE TOOK YET ANOTHER TURN >> HER ROOMMATE INVITED SOMEONE OVER AND THEY ENDED UP TAKING MY WALLET. WHICH HAD A THOUSAND DOLLARS IN IT. MY RENT, ANY EXTRA MONEY I HAD TO MY NAME. >> SHE DID WHAT SHE THOUGHT SHE HAD TO. >> I WAS HOMELESS BY CHOICE BUT IT WAS BECAUSE I KNEW WHAT I WANTED FOR MY FUTURE. >> IN THE DEAD OF WINTER, IN A CAR WITH NO HEAT MONAE STOPPED GOING TO CLASS, TRIED TO HOLD DOWN TWO JOBS, AND FOUND HERSELF SPENDING HER DAYS SITTING IN HER CAR. >> MY CAR ENDED UP BEING MY HOME. FOR SURE. MY CAR WAS DEFINITELY MY HOME. THAT WAS THE ONE THING THAT COULDN’T BE TAKEN FROM ME. >> MONAE’S ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL DIDN’T GO UNNOTICED SHE ENDED UP IN THE FLEX ACADEMY AT HER HIGH SCHOOL. A PROGRAM DESIGNED TO HELP STRUGGLING STUDENTS. WITH THE HELP OF GENEROUS DONORS AND A UNITED WAY INITIATIVE. MONAE’S RENT WAS PAID. >> I WAS LIKE OK I REALLY WANT TO STUDY NOW. IT MAKES ME WANT TO STUDY. IT MAKES ME WANT TO LEARN AND FIGURE IT OUT. >> IN FRONT OF HER MOM AND FRIENDS, SHE BECAME THE FIRST PERSON IN HER FAMILY TO GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL. TODAY, MONAE IS WORKING AS AN INTERN FOR PRINCIPAL. GOING TO DMACC, AND NOW THE PROUD OWNER OF A BRAND NEW CAR. >> NO ONE IN MY FAMILY HAS HAD ANYTHING THIS NICE BEFORE. >> AND MONAE IS JUST GETTING STARTED. >> HOPEFULLY I CAN INSPIRE AS MANY PEOPLE FROM THIS STORY TO KEEP PUSHING. >> WHILE SHE’S ONLY BEEN IN COLLEGE A WEEK NOW, MONAE SAYS SHE’S LIKING SCHOOL SO MUCH, THAT SHE’S NOW THINKING ABOUT GETTING HER MA