Homeless teen becomes high school valedictorian, earns $3M in scholarships

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A high school valedictorian in Memphis, Tennessee, earned more than $3 million in scholarships while not having a home.

Tupac Mosley, 17, told WGHP he even surprised himself with this achievement, because he surpassed all of his own goals.

"When I heard that I got $3 million, I was more than elated and excited and astonished that it was that much," Mosley said.

Mosley's father recently died. That caused his family to fall behind on bills and get evicted from their home.

Since February, Mosley has been staying in various places around Memphis. He specifically thanked a camping site and nonprofit organization that often gave him a place to sleep.

Despite the challenges of being homeless, Mosley kept a 4.3 GPA - better than any of his classmates.

During his valedictorian speech he told his classmates that he truly believed anything was possible if you believe in yourself and work hard.

"Never let your current situation, whatever circumstances you're going through, be a mountain that you can't climb," Mosley said.