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.
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