A high school senior’s amazing story of overcoming the odds proves that hard work and dedication — even in the midst of harrowing life circumstances — can truly pay off.
Megan Faircloth faced an uphill battle after her family was evicted from their home when she was a junior in high school, leaving her, her mom and two sisters effectively homeless. They’d often live at hotels or shelters — or sleep in the family’s car.
But despite her family’s difficult situation, Faircloth didn’t give up on her education, WTVD-TV reported.
During her struggle with homelessness, the 17-year-old would often stay up late to complete her homework, navigating life challenges that other students couldn’t have even imagined. Now, as she prepares to graduate high school on Monday, her hard work has paid off, landing her a nearly full scholarship to Stanford University — one of the nation’s top colleges — in the fall.
— East Wake iTech and Design Magnet High School (@eastwakehs) June 2, 2017
“My life was really chaotic outside of school, but when I got to school everything I had, it was under my control,” Megan told WTVD. “Like everything I wanted to do was my choice and so I let that empower me.”
Despite her difficult personal circumstances, Megan poured herself into her academics at East Wake High School in Wendell, North Carolina, becoming vice-president of student government, starting a literature club and engaging in other extracurricular activities.
In the end, her unyielding dedication led her to graduate at the top of her class, WTVD noted.
Megan’s success didn’t come easily, but both she and her mother were devoted, despite the roadblocks. Her mom, Melba Faircloth, told WTVD that her daughter would sometimes need to do her homework in the car and then get up at 5:00 in the morning to make it to school on time.
Her story of hard work and dedication has resonated with those who have read or heard it, leading people to reach out with offers to help buy her books and other college supplies. One Stanford graduate offered $2,000 and others pledged to help her get a cell phone.
Megan’s story spread after she spoke at an awards banquet earlier this month, and she has found the reaction encouraging, the News & Observer reported.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by negative things before in my life. So to finally be overwhelmed by something positive is great,” she said. “When I gave the speech, I didn’t even expect the local response, and then there was a national response to it, too. It was really amazing.”
The devoted student plans to pursue a career in education so that she can help other low-income kids reach their full potential.