Athena Shearrion-Perkins’s Story

When Athena’s mother passed away in March 2020, Athena’s life changed in every way.

She was still a child, carrying a loss no child should have to face. After her mother’s passing, Athena was adopted by her grandparents. With that adoption came another major transition: Athena moved away from Boston and could no longer attend the school she had been part of through the METCO program.

At the same time, she was grieving.

The weight of that spring was immense, and Athena began to fall behind in her studies. She was not only adjusting to a new home and a new school path, but also trying to make sense of life without her mother.

Her father knows the weight of that loss in his own life.

“I lost my mother seven years ago, and I know as a 37-year-old man what that means for me,” he says. “But I couldn’t even imagine being an 11- or 12-year-old girl.”

Through Runway’s Family Grants program, Athena received daily tutoring to help her catch up academically. That support gave her the consistency, encouragement, and one-on-one attention she needed not only to rebuild what she had missed, but to begin excelling.

She also now receives tuition support for a school close to her new home, helping give her the stability and opportunity she deserves.

For Athena, that support has meant more than help with school. It has meant having people believe in her.

One of those people is Ryan, Athena’s tutor. Ryan has become a steady source of guidance and encouragement, helping Athena work through her school assignments, correct mistakes, and think about how to approach challenges the next day.

“He helps me correct things and gives me suggestions on how to do things the next day,” Athena shares. “In anything, I’m like, I know I’m going to get the right answer because I’m using what Ryan taught me.”

That confidence has changed how Athena sees herself.

“I have all these people that are helping me,” she says.

For her family, watching that transformation has been powerful. The shy girl who once needed reassurance has begun to grow into someone more confident, more supported, and more willing to trust the people around her.

“To see her now is unbelievable,” her father says.

Runway’s support did not erase Athena’s grief. Nothing could do that. But it helped make the weight of it a little easier to carry. It gave Athena tools, structure, and a community of people invested in her future.

“Having someone believe in you and seeing that confidence building in her is unbelievable,” her father says.

That belief is at the heart of Athena’s story.

Runway does not pretend that grief disappears. It does not try to take away the loss of someone you love. Instead, it offers children and families support they can trust: people who show up, listen, encourage, and help make the hardest parts of life feel a little more manageable.

“Everyone at Runway is wonderful,” Athena’s father says. “You can trust them. You don’t have to be afraid. You don’t have to be embarrassed.”

For children like Athena, that kind of trust matters. It means knowing that asking for help is not something to be ashamed of. It means knowing that support is not there to erase what happened, but to help you keep moving forward.

“They are not trying to make your grief go away,” her father says. “They are trying to help you, to make it as easy as possible for you.”

For Athena, that help has made room for confidence.

It has made room for stability.

It has made room for a young girl to feel supported, believed in, and proud of the person she is becoming.

We are so proud to support Athena as she continues to step into her confidence, knowing she has a community behind her every step of the way.