ORLANDO, Fla. — Packed in two bags is Savohn Thomas’ future -- inside are donated clothes, shoes, dance attire, and even school supplies.

The dream of college for this formerly homeless kid has become a reality. It all started with a walk -- a 20-mile walk to be exact.

“I didn’t see the walk as, ‘I am going to do this, I am going to get something out of it.’ I am just doing this to try and get a diploma. I was just trying to graduate,” Savohn said. “My cap and gown was my reward at the end. My diploma was my reward at the end. I guess God had something else with that too.”

The walk to school allowed him to be a part of Cypress Creek High School’s theater program. One of his performances in a musical then earned him a partial scholarship to AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts.

But Savohn still struggles with not having a stable home, and affording the rest of the tuition for college was out of the question. Orange County Public Schools stepped in to help, creating the Pursuit of the Arts Fund, but even that was not enough.  

“I was definitely afraid I couldn’t go. I wasn’t that much excited as I thought I was because hearing about the scholarship and the details, ‘you go to pay this, you got to pay this, that.’ I don’t have any money,” Savohn said.  

That all changed when AMDA found out he might not attend, so they awarded him the Director’s Scholarship. The scholarship would cover the rest of his tuition.

“Come on, I got to be thankful, I got to be thankful to my heart, thankful for these people; they don’t know me,” Savohn said.  

What they see though is a talent coming from nothing, but ready to be something.

“I am definitely scared. But in my neighborhood, it’s scary to walk out of the door in the morning,” Savohn said.  

The giving didn’t stop there -- Savohn also needed clothes, school supplies and everything else that is needed for college.  

“These were actually donated to me by those same people, because I didn’t have nothing to put anything in … I am really thankful,” he said choking up a bit.  

Thankful to begin the next steps towards the rest of his life.