Posted on 04/18/2020 7:54:00 PM PDT by Hojczyk
Years of hard work have paid off for Columbus, Ohio teen Lashawn Samuel.
Living in poverty and struggling with hunger, Samuel had to be hospitalized at times due to health issues, and lost a friend to gang violence.
Nevertheless, the young man walked 3 miles every day from his home to a local library to study and get help with his homework.
Starting in eighth grade, Samuel began his daily walk from his home to the Columbus Metropolitan Library, where he would sign in to the Homework Help Center at 3:00 p.m., work until the center closed, and then walk back home.
Sometimes he walked home in the dark to his Section 8 housing.
Incredibly, the young man has now been accepted to 12 colleges, with several offering a full scholarship — including his dream college, Ohio State University, where he is planning on attending the Fisher College of Business.
Samuel will be the first person in his family to go to college.
The budding scholar said:
"I never would have achieved it without God, my family, my friends and this environment I have around me.
There's always going to be a challenge or an obstacle that you're going to have to overcome or grow out of. But as long as you keep true to yourself and have faith and persevere so that you can overcome it, then you will."
Kelly Young, one of the Homework Help associates at the Columbus Metropolitan Library who helped Samuel, said:
"The kid has tremendous perseverance and he just keeps going.
During a time like this, when we are all facing such uncertainty, I think Lashawn's story can really teach us. Using the resources that are around us in our community and depending on each other,
(Excerpt) Read more at disrn.com ...
Best of luck to this very deserving young man.
Someone peed in your cornflakes this morning?
If I knew him personally, I would offer financial assistance. His parents did something right.
The welfare state destroyed the black family. All of us who voted for politicians of ANY party who supported that system, bear some responsibility. The best we can do to make up is to invest time, talents and even personal resources in people who are putting forth a good effort to lift themselves.
Exceptional kid. Kudos to the parent or parents who raised him
When I was younger living in Philadelphia,I would do the beer walkabout also.
weren’t they so great and peaceful?
God I miss those days
Sounds fishy; a bicycle or a skateboard are big, huge affordable alternatives. If not a bicycle then a skateboard.
The article never mentioned how many times this kid got beat up for acting white or some such crap.
Hood rats don’t like their brothers escaping the hood, makes the hood rats look bad.
this boy didnt fall into the category most young boys find the easiest way. he was different and he worked hard.. it couldnt have been easy.
kudos to him. wish him success..
I hope he does well for the rest of his life. It seems that he is the type to put in the hard work to achieve goals and will benefit the whole world in the long run. God bless this young man.
Hope Lori doesn’t buy out his spot.
Good job, young man. Good luck in college.
He is going to be a wonderful entrepreneur and I wish him all the success in the world!!!
Good for the guy but this isn't an exceptional story.
Three miles is a lot in today’s world...
Parents drive there kids to school so they do not have to walk..
It is a world of snowflakes
May the LORD establish the work of his hands. May everything he does prosper!
What happened? Did Mom trade the food stamps for booze?
ML/NJ
Harsh to belittle someone for going the extra mile (no pun intended) to change the future for him and his family. Walking dark roads late at night in Section 8 housing isn’t a stroll down Madison Avenue.
This guy’s story reminds me a little of Charles Payne’s inspiring success story from the projects.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.