“It was challenging,” said 24-year-old Lauren. “There were a lot of very bumpy, depressing times.”

Two years into this hardship, their father decided he didn’t want their situation to hinder their education. The sisters, who had been struggling to attend school due to constant moves, enrolled in a homeschool program with hopes of earning their GED.

“He didn’t want what we were going through to hold us back,” said 25-year-old Dominique.

Indeed, the Lawrence sisters defied the odds. In 2019, all six earned their GEDs. They then attended Nassau Community College and later graduated from SUNY Old Westbury with bachelor’s degrees in public health in May.

“It’s been quite an adventure,” said 22-year-old Danielle. “But what really pulled us through is our faith in God and in each other.”

These siblings, now aged 19 to 25, said they are just getting started. In August, they began a master’s program in public health at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University and plan to attend nursing school afterward.

Moreover, their father is very proud of his daughters who made their dream come true despite all the challenges of their uncertain childhood.

“I’m so happy they they’ve done this together,” said David. “I always tell them, ‘Life’s not fair. And when it throws you a curveball, you gotta adjust to it and keep going.’”