Teen Who Slept in Homeless Shelters as a Child Has Just Landed A Full Scholarship to Harvard

Aug 24, 2018 by apost team

Despite his hard upbringing, ambitious Richard Jenkins was determined to make a positive impact in his life. Richard overcame the hardship of foreclosure with his family and used his intelligence to adapt.

When Richard was in the sixth grade, it dawned on him that he needed to do something positive with his life. It was during this time that Richard and his family ended up homeless and living in a shelter. When approached by a classmate about his living situation, Richard lied because he was too embarrassed to admit he was staying in a homeless shelter. Instead of using this as an excuse, Richard used this experience as motivation to provide better for himself and his future.

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While his classmates taunted him, Richard’s focus and determination never wavered. He was always the first in class to answer a question. His classmates mockingly called him “Harvard” to make fun of his eagerness and intelligence. As if Richard were not facing enough struggles from bullying and poverty, he also battled debilitating migraines that he says were induced by stress.

Richard’s mother remained his biggest support through all of it and recognized his potential. She initially encouraged him to apply to Girard College in Philadelphia, which provides children of single parent household the opportunity to higher education. Richard set his sights even higher, though. Richard applied to exceptional schools, such as Yale, Penn State, and Harvard.

While Yale and Penn State rejected his application, one school did not: Harvard. Not only did he get accepted into Harvard, he received a full-ride scholarship to attend. There was no doubt in his mother’s mind when he shared with her his exciting news. When recounting their story to journalists his mother said, “I think I said, ‘I told you so!’” when she learned of his acceptance. Richard’s classmates can still call him “Harvard” but for a very different reason now.

Check out this video about him:

Not only did Richard Jenkins overcome obstacles that many people never see in their lifetime, he did so at a young age and then turned his adversity into motivation.

Are there any obstacles in your life that motivated you for something better? Pass this article on to your friends and loved ones if Richard’s story has motivated you or if you have your own success story.