Griffin Furlong, valedictorian at First Coast High School Graduating Class of 2014.
He never missed an assignment and graduated as the best student of the class. What many of his friends and classmates didn’t know was that Griffin had been homeless for the last 12 years. During high-school, he was forced to sleep at shelters and other people’s places together with his father and brother. After his mother passed away when he was 7, Griffin’s dad struggled to make ends meet and the family was forced to live on the streets.
Many learned of his struggles through his valedictorian speech. Needless to say, they were shocked. His classmates couldn’t believe how hard Griffin’s life was.
In front of more than 500 people, this young man said that “giving up is not an option.”
“I can’t even count the number of sleepless nights I spent alone on a cold plastic mattress. I cried, internally hoping that my life would soon wash away so I would not have to bear the hardships of a seemingly evil world,” he shared with Good Times.
He then added: “I never gave up, no matter how bad I wanted to. To everyone sitting here before me, do not live a life without purpose. Deep down inside you know you have something to show. So whether you realize it or not, never make excuses, especially when you have a loving family able to give you what you need and want.” “I just want to show that anyone can do it, no matter what you’ve been through. I never want to live that life again, I do everything I do because I don’t want to live like that,” he told ABC News.
Having experienced the homeless life himself, Griffin and his girlfriend plan to start scholarship for others who go through the same struggles in life.
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