A homeless teenager in Florida who overcame a difficult đ€đ©đȘđđ„hood to graduate as class valedictorian on Wednesday has a brighter future ahead of him.
Griffin Furlong has had his college fund boosted by more than $91,000 by Thursday morning, as details spread of the 18-year-old’s determination to succeed despite the odds.
When he gave his valedictorian speech at First Coast High School on Wednesday, Griffin told his classmates ‘giving up is not an option’.
Inspiration: Homeless teenager Griffin Furlong gives his valedictorian speech on Wednesday after overcoming hardships to graduate with a 4.65 average
Generous: More than $88,000 has been donated to a college fund for Griffin, pictured second left with his brother Sean
Despite losing his mother to cancer when he was 6, and being raised in a series of homeless shelters, Griffin achieved a 4.65 grade average in high school.
He puts his educational success down to a determination to make something of himself, telling the graduates: ‘I perform the way I do in the classroom because I have everything to lose.’
Before he was selected as valedictorian at First Coast High School, few of Griffin’s teachers and classmates knew about his hard life.
From the age of seven, he and his brother, Sean have been moved to various homeless shelters with their father, and often went hungry.
‘Every single one of my peers thinks I live and have lived a normal, everyday life. Everyone thinks I try to get good grades because Iâm smart. Not true,,,’ Griffin said.
‘I make the grades I do because I was once lost, and had nothing.’
Moving: In his valedictorian speech Griffin told classmates to use their past as motivation
Focused: From a young age Griffin realized the only way he could change his life was to work hard at school
He concluded his speech by telling his classmates: ‘Donât dwell on the past, use it as motivation for your future.
‘Itâs amazing what you can do with your life when you have motivation, ambition and most importantly, a purpose.’
Griffin plans to study civil engineering at Florida State University where his brother, Sean, is due to graduate from this summer.
He was able to secure grants to cover some living costs, but last month the teenager had still not heard back from applications to get help covering his tuition.
A Go Fund Me page was set up on Griffin’s behalf, and in just two weeks more than $90,000 had been raised for his college fund.
‘Wow, this is truly a blessing! I can’t even fathom how much this means to me and my family,’ Griffin wrote on the page last week, as he thanked his many supporters.
Next step: Griffin, pictured with Avery, wants to start a scholarship to help students in similar circumstances to his
Loss: When he was just six years old, Griffin’s mother died from leukemia
The amount will cover costs for Griffin’s degree at Florida State University, which charges students about $20,000 a year for tuition, accommodation, meals and books.
But the teenager has said that he would also like to create a scholarship fund for other Florida students in similar circumstances to himself.
According to Jacksonville.com, his school district has about 1,000 homeless students.
Griffin’s struggles began when his mother died from leukemia. One year later he moved into the first of several homeless shelters with his father and brother.
‘I had to grow up really fast. I’ve seen things that kids wouldn’t ever see in their lives,’ he told Today.
For a while the family had a rental home, but just before Griffin was due to sit his finals, the baseball fan found himself homeless again.
He stayed with the family of his girlfriend, Avery, for a few weeks, before moving in with relatives. But despite his unsettled home life, Griffin still scored highly in his exams.
Griffin, who wrote his motto ‘Never Give Up’ on the rim of his baseball caps each season, said he was driven to succeed in memory of his mother.
Motivated: Griffin writes his motto, ‘Never give up’, inside the rim of his baseball caps each season to remind him of what he is trying to achieve
Support: When Griffin became homeless again just before his final exams the family of his girlfriend, Avery, let him stay at their house
‘I know that sheâs proud that Iâve never given up despite the circumstances that I was facing. I know that she loves me. She gave my life purpose,’ he said.
His unconventional upbringing sometimes left Griffin feeling cut off from his peers. Because he was living in homeless shelters he couldn’t have friends over, and had to take a different bus to school.
Ambitious: Griffin has never missed a day of school and is getting ready to start university
‘A lot of kids made fun of me, but I didn’t let that interfere with what I did in school. I had a plan – just make good grades, and don’t worry about anyone else but my family,’ he said.
The youngster quickly realized that the only chance he had to improve his life was to study hard, and despite his difficult home life, Griffin has never missed a day of school.
‘I knew I was going to be poor for the rest of my life, so I thought if I could continue to do well in school, eventually scholarships would be coming my way and I would be getting a free education,’ he said.
The teenager left a lasting impression with his teachers, who praised his academic achievements and revealed that he had made the varsity baseball team every year.
‘He is a remarkable kid and an excellent student,’ Jennifer Stover, who taught Griffin and helped with his college applications, told NBC News. ‘Heâs an inspiration to everyone around him.’
Many teachers and students at his school had no idea of the problems Griffin faced until he was named class valedictorian.
‘I actually cried when I saw it on the news,’ teacher Natalie Donald said. ‘Heâs made straight As across the board in my class, and he never once used his circumstances as a crutch to justify not being able to do anything.’
Griffin’s brother, Sean, is also proud of his younger brother. The pair formed a close bond and often had only each other to confide in.
‘I couldn’t tell my friends what I was going through,’ Sean, 21, said. ‘It was mainly just me and Griffin, and we did everything together, baseball especially..
‘He’s just a really tough individual. He’s younger than me, but I still look up to him,’ he added.
Source: dailymail
