Long Hours At Work And School Fuel Determination For Stratford High Graduate In Nashville
Though he’s a teenager, Kevin, a recent graduate of Nashville’s Stratford STEM Magnet High School is the man of the house.
In high school, he worked long hours to help out, which made staying in school a struggle. Instead of dropping out, he stuck with it and graduated. He now attends Belmont University and is on scholarship.
“When I was younger, my mom and my teachers, basically my whole family told me I was going to be great,” Kevin says. “Since they believed in me, it always put a fire in me because I know I wanted to be something.”
Kevin says he worked 40 to 46 hours a week, sometimes not making it home until after 11 p.m.
“It was hard making that transition from work to school,” he says. “I was failing math at a point in time, so I had to stay over two or three hours to make sure that I get all this work done and to make sure that I pass this class.”
Things are set now the college freshman.
“Now I’m going to college, and I’m going to Belmont on a full ride,” he says. Since his freshman year high school, Kevin says: “Everything has worked out fine.”
This report was produced by the Southern Education Desk as part of their “Back on Track” series. It is supported by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in observance of American Graduate Day on Saturday, October 3.
A ‘Jane Doe’ in the R. Kelly trials is ready to share her real name. And her story
A once anonymous R. Kelly survivor, Reshona Landfair is now ready to reclaim her voice.
Alabama seek to bring back death penalty for child rape convictions
Alabama approved legislation Thursday to add rape and sexual torture of a child under 12 to the narrow list of crimes that could draw a death sentence.
What a crowded congressional primary in N.J. says about the state of Democrats
The contest is one of the first congressional primaries of the year where we will find out what issues are currently resonating with some Democratic voters. Here are some key things to know.
At NOCHI, students learn the art of making a Mardi Gras-worthy king cake
With Carnival in full swing, the New Orleans culinary school gave its students a crash course — and a rite of passage — in baking their first king cake.
The Winter Olympics in Italy were meant to be sustainable. Are they?
Italy's Winter Olympics promised sustainability. But in Cortina, environmentalists warn the Games could scar these mountains for decades.
Their film was shot in secret and smuggled out of Iran. It won an award at Sundance
Between war, protests and government crackdowns, the filmmakers raced to finish and smuggle their portrait of Tehran's underground arts scene to the prestigious film festival.
