A high school student in Memphis became class valedictorian, maintained a 4.3 GPA, and was offered more than 50 different scholarships for college, all while being homeless.
17-year-old Tupac Mosley was offered more than $3 million in scholarships to various colleges prior to his high school graduation in May this year.
During his graduation speech, the teenager said his story is a true example of how nothing is impossible if you believe you can achieve it.
Mosley’s father had recently passed away, which unfortunately left his family struggling to pay the bills. They were evicted from their home in February, and have been living in a cabin on a campsite, run by nonprofit organisation For the Kingdom, ever since.
Speaking to Fox13, Mosley said:
When I heard that I got $3 million, I was more than elated and excited and astonished that it was that much.
Mosley and his family are now preparing to move out of the cabin, as they’ve found somewhere permanent to live.
He said:
After my father passed, we fell behind on bills and we ended up getting evicted from our home February 21 of this year. So, we went to different homes so far and we were blessed to have For the Kingdom.
Mosley said, if it wasn’t for For the Kingdom letting his family stay on the campsite, college wouldn’t have been an option for him.
Speaking at his high school graduation, the teenager said:
I knew that I had to make them proud. I knew that their investment was worth it, and just show them that – yes, everything that you poured into me was worth $3 million and counting.
Never let your current situation, whatever circumstances you’re going through, be a mountain that you can’t climb.
Mosley will be heading to Tennessee State University in the autumn, to study electrical engineering.
The Memphis teen isn’t alone when it comes to persevering through tough times to graduate top of the class. Last year, Richard Jenkins was accepted to Harvard, having spent most of his childhood living in homeless shelters. While Rashema Melson also became valedictorian of her high school, and graduated from Georgetown University this year, after growing up in a homeless shelter.
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.