Tanisha Clanton ‘12 Honored for Paying it Forward
Tanisha Clanton ’12, homeless for the first 10 years
of her life, has overcome the odds and is being
honored for her civic work in Philadelphia. For the first 10 years of her life, Tanisha Clanton ’12 of Philadelphia, Pa., was homeless.
Today, Clanton is a sophomore at Albright—the first in her family to go beyond high school—and the recipient of the fourth annual Fran Egan Civic Award, named for the late state legislator and
longtime champion of Project H.O.M.E., the homeless advocacy network in Philadelphia.
The award is given by Project H.O.M.E. to an adult or teen who intends to use his or her education
to improve civic life in Philadelphia.
Nine years ago Clanton and her family were among the first residents at Rowan Homes, an
apartment complex where families get help gaining stability and skills, and where they still live.
Clanton has been a long-time participant in the teen program at Honickman Learning Center and
Comcast Technology Labs, the centerpiece of Project H.O.M.E.’s revitalization strategy for the St.
Elizabeth’s/Diamond Street section of North Central Philadelphia. It is the largest and most advanced
learning facility to serve low-income populations in Philadelphia.
Clanton was 14 when she became involved with the center. It was a place where she went to
get help with homework, to prepare for SAT’s and to learn about scholarship opportunities. It was
a place where she learned how to run her own business—a water ice business, which was part of
a marketplace of businesses owned by other teens selling goodies from cookies to T-shirts. Harold
Honickman, chairman of the Honickman group of soft drink bottling and distribution companies,
and Clanton’s mentor, provided the start-up funds. And today, the center is a place where she
serves as a mentor to other teens like her.
Now an art education major at Albright, Clanton said she hopes to use art education to empower
youth to develop their own skills and improve their communities.
Having moved from school to school as a young child, Clanton said she had a hard time making
friends and was often bullied. Art gave her a way to express her emotions. “I was a troubled child,”
Clanton said, “but art helped me to control my anger.”
For both Clanton and her mother Tanya—whom Clanton credits for being her role model—being honored with the award was both humbling and emotional. Both ladies feel very grateful.“I’m really lucky,” Clanton said. “Most troubled kids don’t end up with such a great outcome.”
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