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6 High School Students From Across U.S. Stuck In Andover Dorm For Thanksgiving

ANDOVER (CBS) - Six teens from across the country are stuck in a dormitory in Andover for Thanksgiving but they're making the most of it.

The young women are part of a special program and the group in charge of looking after them said there was no safe way to get them home. So they're connecting and cooking with their families online for the holiday.

The girls are living and learning together in Andover as part of "A Better Chance," a non-profit that recruits high-achieving students of color from underperforming schools nationwide and shepherds them through much better high schools with an eye on college scholarships.

Because of the pandemic, this is the first time in the program's 50-year history the teens didn't go home for Thanksgiving. As a result, they've planned their own meal for their dorm.

"I understand why I can't go home and it's really tough but it's going to be great either way." 16-year-old Kijari told WBZ-TV, a day before her 17th birthday. "If I'm not going to spend it with my family I wouldn't want spent it with anyone else."

"My parents are older so I don't want to possibly put them in danger if I've been exposed. You never know with this," said 15-year-old Aisosa from Washington, D.C.

To give this Thanksgiving a touch of home, a computer is set up in their dorm with a wide camera shot of the dinner table so the teens can Zoom with their families during the big meal.

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