The Furlong family spent some time living in a rental property, but were eventually evicted. During his speech, Griffin recalled going to bed hungry and not knowing where his next meal would come from. He didn’t have a real childhood. He remembers being treated like he was less than a human, and that’s when he decided to make something of himself.
Griffin Furlong knew that education was the key to a better life. I’m tired of sleeping at night. Hoping not to wake up. Furlong put all her energy into studying and graduated with an impressive 4.65 GPA reported by People.
Furlong concluded by telling his peers to live their lives with purpose.
Anything is possible when you are ambitious, motivated and have a goal.
Griffin’s former teachers were shocked when they heard his speech. Jennifer Stover, a calculus professor at Griffin, told NBC News that faculty members knew Griffin was having trouble at home, but never realized how serious it was. He never used his situation as an excuse and always came to class with a positive attitude.
Griffin Furlong hopes her story will inspire other children facing adversity.
Griffin’s classmates wanted him to know that he was already an inspiration to them. So when Griffin couldn’t afford his tuition at Florida State University, his friends started a GoFundMe campaign. In less than two weeks, they raised $26,000 in six days. Griffin Furlong will never go hungry while studying.
