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It only lasts a few minutes, but a from an Aquinas student about an important but often overlooked issue has gotten significant attention on the web.

Sophomore Jessie Lynn McCormick describes her project - a - as an attempt to raise awareness about a problem that affects communities across the country, including Grand Rapids. What began as an assignment for her 鈥淚ntroduction to Community Leadership鈥� class, has taken on a life of its own, gaining almost 1,600 views on YouTube in the last two months alone.

Set to the music of award-winning country act Sugarland, McCormick鈥檚 video details stories of homeless youths, as well as statistics about the most common trends of homelessness in the United States. With each number, McCormick shares quotes and life experiences from homeless people she has met and worked alongside. The quotes and reflections seek to give a human face to the issue, not merely facts and figures.

When asked why homelessness was her topic-of-choice for the video project, McCormick, who is majoring in Community Leadership, said, 鈥淧ersonal experience. Between my junior and senior years of high school, I ended up homeless. I stayed in a couple of places鈥攕ometimes with extended family鈥攁nd there was a family from my church, and I stayed there quite a bit.鈥� After some time, McCormick said, she found herself unsure of where she would be living next, causing her to feel what she describes as 鈥減anic mode.鈥�

Eventually, McCormick came to Aquinas College, and she鈥檚 grateful for her experiences as a college student, crediting Aquinas for creating a safe learning environment for her and others: 鈥淏ecause I was technically and can still be considered 鈥榟omeless youth鈥� - when I鈥檓 not [living on-campus], I鈥檓 with [myself] - I experienced hardships before ever arriving here. But I think Aquinas played a crucial part in standing up to those who don鈥檛 realize how big the problem is.鈥�

Having worked with Arbor Circle, a West Michigan program that offers counseling on issues of mental stability, interpersonal conflict, and drug and alcohol abuse, McCormick got to know many people whose lives have been affected by homeless experiences. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 a big or important job, and I made a lot of copies and stapled a lot of papers 鈥� and got some trademark paper cuts,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut when I was in the lobby, I鈥檇 chat with some of the youth who were there for the day, and I really connected with them.鈥�

In these exchanges, she learned just how important it is to heed the stories of those whose lives have been particularly challenging - not only for themselves, but for those who seek to help as well. 鈥淚 think it helped to have someone who was actually listening, and鈥攖hey didn鈥檛 know it - understanding,鈥� she said.

The statistics and stories in her video鈥攁part from those drawn from people she鈥檚 met鈥攚ere taken from a variety of places, including Covenant House (a national organization reaching out to homeless youth), and Youth Noise (which encourages young people to be leaders in their communities). McCormick sought to have the most up-to-date and reliable information as possible, and she emphasizes the power of sharing stories such as the ones in her video as a means of understanding such a relevant problem.

One such story was that of a young woman in a shelter who owned nothing but a small paint can. Often seen talking to the paint can when upset or by herself, eventually a volunteer asked the woman what was inside her container. The young woman admitted that it was her mother鈥檚 ashes. McCormick recalls how potent the story was for her, describing it as one that has stuck with her as a reminder of others鈥� pain - and her own.

With the pain, however, comes gratitude - to her friends, and to the Aquinas community - for creating new possibilities for McCormick and others.

鈥淎quinas gave me one of the biggest gifts I鈥檝e ever gotten, and that鈥檚 opportunity,鈥� said McCormick. 鈥淚t gave me a sense of what it鈥檚 like to be successful. There鈥檚 good people here, and I think once someone is able to find that one genuine person who will listen to them, who believes in their dreams one hundred and fifty percent, and who cares about their education, listens to their past, and are honest all the time - I think it really changes their life. Aquinas has given me a new view of the world, one that is filled with good people, opportunity, chances to make your past truly your past, and build a future.鈥�