Homeless High School Valedictorian Earns $3 Million In Scholarships

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CBS Local) -- A homeless teen in Memphis who graduated valedictorian at his high school has earned $3 million in 50 scholarship offers, tripling his original goal of $1 million in scholarships.

"When I heard that I got three million, I was more than elated," said Raleigh Egypt High School graduate Tupac Mosley.

Mosley maintained a 4.3 GPA, scored a 31 on his ACT, and was named valedictorian -- all while dealing with the death of his father and the lack of a permanent home.

"After my father passed, we fell behind on bills and we ended up getting evicted from our home February 21st of this year," Mosley told WHBQ. "So we went to different homes so far and we were blessed to have For The Kingdom."

For The Kingdom is a camping site and non-profit organization that helps lead urban children and teens in Memphis in the right direction. Mosley says if it wasn't for the director allowing he and his family to stay there, college may have not been an option.

Mosley, who at one point was living in a tent, also credits his family, friends and all the people at his school for his success.

"Everything that you poured into me was worth $3 million in counting," Mosley said Sunday during his graduation speech.

Tupac, who is preparing to move into a permanent home, says he will attend Tennessee State University in September and plans to major in electrical engineering.

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