Recently, a New Orleans teenager defied all odds, overcoming his circumstances to graduate as the valedictorian of his high school while simultaneously living in a homeless shelter. Upon graduating at the top of his class from Walter C. Cohen High School, 19-year-old Elijah Hogan is set to attend Xavier University of Louisiana in the fall.
Hogan started his freshman year in high school remotely during the pandemic, which was already challenging enough as it is for students nationwide. However, Hogan faced another challenging variable: living in Covenant House, a homeless shelter for youth, while trying to navigate his educational experience.
“It’s been tough and rough, had a few trips and falls down, [but] I’m alright,” Hogan said during a recent interview with “Good Morning America” when discussing his senior year of high school. Hogan finished his high school career with a near-perfect GPA of 3.93, tying with another student for the valedictorian title.
During his speech at the Walter C. Cohen commencement ceremony, Hogan thanked the support he received from the surrounding community, which allowed him to succeed. “I have people that were there to help me get through it. And without them I wouldn’t have been where I’m at now as a valedictorian,” he said.
“The speech in itself was more of a thank-you letter to the school, to the staff, to the students and to their parents for helping us to get past our school years and get us where we are now graduating, going off in the world,” the valedictorian noted. “As time went on, I started to build up relationships, had to meet some wonderful people, got to know a lot of people, as well as forming relationships and trust with them.”
Jana DeCoaster, director of student activities at Cohen High School, was one of the positive influences in Hogan’s life, who helped guide him through high school. She said, “All of our students experience different levels of trauma, different experiences, and I think Elijah recognizes, like, yes, he had adults in his corner, but all of our students who made it to graduation also had adults in their corner.”
Furthermore, DeCoaster praised Hogan for his gratitude toward those who assisted him through his challenging circumstances. “And it is rare that they get thanked at graduation on such a large stage … the fact that he is so gracious to think of, again, not just himself, he’s thinking of all of his classmates, that’s just really special,” DeCoaster said.
Hogan’s Rites of Passage case worker at Covenant House spoke highly of the young man, noting that she had observed a significant change in him since they first met last year. “Being in a homeless shelter is traumatic. Whatever you went through to get you here is traumatic,” Cobb said.
The soon-to-be Xavier University of Louisiana student offered encouraging advice to his classmates. “There is a time and place where you can have fun, but try to keep yourself organized on some of your education as well, because without your education, you will not be able to get through the hardships and meet the people that helped you along the way,” he said.
Featured image credit: GoFundMe
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