NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — One high school valedictorian who earned $3 million worth of scholarships while battling homelessness will attend Tennessee State University this fall.
Tupac Moseley, 18, lost his father in April 2017 during the end of his sophomore year. In February, his family was forced to live in motels after their home foreclosed. The Memphis native said becoming homeless made focusing on school, college essays and scholarship applications more stressful.
"I had to have the mental capability and capacity to focus on 'Okay I still have to get this scholarship down, I still had to get this essay done' even though I'm not knowing where I'm going to be the next day, physically be or where I'll eat the next day," he said.
Despite financial hardships, Moseley graduated valedictorian with a 4.3 GPA from Raleigh Egypt High School in Memphis.
"School was still always my priority. It's a blessing that I've had so many people in my corner throughout my years and throughout all my struggles to ensure that I can get to that point I was on that stage. Your location is not a limitation so it doesn't matter where you come from, you will always be successful once you have your goals in mind, your aspirations in mind, your dreams in mind. They'll reach you," he said.
Moseley said anyone facing adversities should make a goal, focus on it, and you'll achieve anything.
"For any students struggling with adversity and needs situations like from my zip code 38128, we all have huge adversity in our community. A lot of people have lost their family members, their parents, their grandparents, their close relatives they also have to worry about things that I have to worry about. So I've always commended them on their own determination to still be successful in life and have their own natural hustle within them," he said.
He plans to study electrical engineering in the fall.
