The odds of Tomanik’e Banks graduating from college were slim — only slightly lower than the odds she’d go to college at all.
But Banks had one thing going for her that many others don’t. Determination.
When Banks crosses the commencement stage May 12, she’ll be one of only about 3 percent of foster youth to graduate from college.
“I grew up in a broken home. My mom was on and off of drugs for a long time,” said Banks, who lived intermittently with her mother and aunt before entering foster care at age 11. “But even in a broken environment, my mom always told me, ‘You are so much smarter than I was at your age, you’re going to be successful.’”
The smart, tenacious girl from Oakland had a rough time in school, moving from place to place as she went through seven foster placements and six homes. In school, she’d be sent to the office for excessive talking.
But as early as third grade, adults besides her mother recognized her potential. A school staff member told her “‘You are too smart to be sent to the office. You’re going to be a doctor one day,’” Banks said. “I didn’t necessarily think about college until then.”
