Senpie 1,663 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 “People think dreams aren’t real just because they aren’t made of matter, of particles. But Dreams are real. They are made of viewpoints, of images, of memories and puns and lost hopes.â€- Neil Gaiman. Accomplishment of dreams isn’t possible for everyone. Because not everyone has the determination and belief to make dreams come true. And those who have a firm belief will ace it defying all the odds. The story of Griffin furlong is an example. This homeless teen graduated with a 4.65 GPA from the First Coast High School despite his homelessness, his mother’s death and numerous hardships. His story is very inspiring with the message of never giving up. He says: “Never let anyone tell you, you can’t do something because I have been told that all my life. People would tell me I wasn’t smart enough and now I am here at the top of my class.†Furlong, 18 endured his way to becoming class valedictorian against all the odds. When he was 6, his mother died from leukemia. His journey of living in shelter homes started when he was 7. He also endured periods of starvation when survival became very tough. But even though, he never quitted rather he was determined to achieve success and a better life for his family. Doing well in studies, acing scholarships and making his way to free education was his scheme that he fully lived up to. Things turn up in his favor because fortune always favors the bold. Very few people knew about his hardships but achieving the honor of a valedictorian has given him an amazing exposure. The world knows him now, his inspirational story. He is all set to attend Florida State just like his brother where he plans to major in engineering. He has recently received a scholarship to pay for his home allowance. The bottom line is when you believe you can do it, you will do it. And remember: “When you want something, the entire universe conspires in helping you to achieve itâ€- Paulo Coelho. ----------- This is super inspiring, guess it really drills in how determination can get you far and how you shouldn't judge others at all by their situations. Makes me feel kinda bad i don't appreciate what I have. I'm actually glad i got pretty decent opportunities i guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnude 1,928 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 I'm glad he has a chance to go to college. But damn, these stories always end with "you can do it, no matter how hard it is"... That's not always the case, unfortunately. There are several circumstances that prevent people from having chances to succeed in life. Anyway, I wish him nothing but the best. Ngl, I though this was a post about a homeless teen whose name is Valedectorian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senpie 1,663 Posted May 25, 2015 Author Share Posted May 25, 2015 I'm glad he has a chance to go to college. But damn, these stories always end with "you can do it, no matter how hard it is"... That's not always the case, unfortunately. There are several circumstances that prevent people from having chances to succeed in life. Anyway, I wish him nothing but the best. Ngl, I though this was a post about a homeless teen whose name is Valedectorian. That's true yeah. I guess it's a bit optimistic (maybe unrealistically so) but i've heard of pretty inspiring life stories IRL, and i think that hard work can really get you far. And I think we can all dream a bit, even though it's unrealistic. Kinda like an aim for the sky, and you'd get the clouds at least thing. and LMAOOOOOOOOO. I didn't see it that way before, but now yes i'm reading it like that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
...... 3,962 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 That's awesome...and hopefully it works to remove some of stigmas of "homelessness". He's a lucky one, clearly of exceptional intelligence...but there are plenty of people who are homeless adults who were first homeless teens and maybe couldn't create the same opportunities. Edit: i removed my question because apparently his father was still alive after his mother died, and that's why they lived in shelters... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senpie 1,663 Posted May 25, 2015 Author Share Posted May 25, 2015 That's awesome...and hopefully it works to remove some of stigmas of "homelessness". He's a lucky one, clearly of exceptional intelligence...but there are plenty of people who are homeless adults who were first homeless teens and maybe couldn't create the same opportunities. +1 to your thoughts about media reportage. I do think it was framed to make the story more dramatic and sensational, maybe he wasn't exactly "homeless" (he slept around on couches etc). This is of course not underplaying any of his very admirable achievements. I do think that it is pretty positive a message though. The key element I took from this was humanising the homeless, we (or at least i am prone to) seeing/defining them as homeless, ignoring their stories or circumstances. If this makes sense. Yes, not everybody can gain access or make opportunities like these, which is quite sad. But I think that this gives a glimmer of hope and inspiration. It did to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hyoyeon's lines in check 6,413 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 He's a role model and so are his friends for pitching in to raise the 40K for his tuition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unafraid 187 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Fuck yeah!! Starting at the bottom and is now on top! I love the message behind this about how anyone can get to the top if they try hard enough. But then you realize that there are people who try just as hard or harder and unfortunately just cant make it. Because for someone to 'win' others have to 'lose' and thats sad reality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AslanHunter 411 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 What I take away from this is not just that he worked hard and succeeded. He believed in his own worth and ability. That belief despite what others try to tell you about yourself, allows you to be free from the limits they would impose on you. I truly believe you can accomplish amazing feats with those two things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
...... 3,962 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 +1 to your thoughts about media reportage. I do think it was framed to make the story more dramatic and sensational, maybe he wasn't exactly "homeless" (he slept around on couches etc). This is of course not underplaying any of his very admirable achievements. I do think that it is pretty positive a message though. The key element I took from this was humanising the homeless, we (or at least i am prone to) seeing/defining them as homeless, ignoring their stories or circumstances. If this makes sense. Yes, not everybody can gain access or make opportunities like these, which is quite sad. But I think that this gives a glimmer of hope and inspiration. It did to me. for sure! I amended my comment, he very well could have grown up in shelters since he was in his father's custody after his mother passed away...but like you said, and I hope i didn't give the impression i feel otherwise... regardless of if he was in shelters, sleeping rough, or in foster care...he was without a stable home...and he definitely wasn't raised in circumstances conducive to the type of success he has earned. His achievements are massive and i completely agree, they are inspirational and will hopefully provide inspiration to everyone but specifically the MANY children and teens growing up similarly in the US. I work with homeless... it is a life passion... I'm the type who goes to the park in the city and talks to them as well... so many of their stories are not what everyone assumes. Yes many of them are drug addicts and alcoholics and gamblers and/or mentally ill...but the majority of them also grew up very similarly to this kid... and the deck was stacked so high against them, they just couldn't overcome the life. Odds are, they were all once teens with potential...but couldn't do what this kid did or grew up in an environment much worse to the point it was nearly impossible. It's sad. Hopefully this kid's story also sheds light on the situations of many teens in the US. They are the best homeless to work with because there's so much hope for them...potentially. Once they become adults, it's so much harder to help them...but if more people are aware that their are teens struggling to live...and we are willing to invest in them, the way i'm sure many people in his community were willing to invest in this kid...maybe we can have a future of less homeless people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MK15 2,108 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Just shows once more that when you really want to get out of a bad situation, you can do it... no matter how bad your situation is (and as long as you're healthy, obviously...). Congrats to him, hope this is just the beginning of much better days for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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