When he was a child, Richard Jenkins raised his hand in the classroom, from that time on, bullies began to call him Harvard. It was their way of mocking him. As it turned out, the ill-wishers were right. After overcoming difficulties in childhood, a graduate from Philadelphia went to Harvard University for a full scholarship.
Test
Eighteen-year-old Jenkins experienced many difficulties, including due to the difficult financial condition of the family and bullying by classmates. But he managed to see in these obstacles the motivation for creating a bright future for himself and his family.
He and his two younger brothers were poor and wandering after their mother lost her ransom, which forced them to move to Tennessee and then to Florida before heading back to Philadelphia.
Jenkins remembers living in a sixth grade shelter. He understood that getting an education could be a way out for him.
On the way to success
Although schooling had never been difficult for him, Jenkins began to study even harder, hone his knowledge and get good grades. He excelled in his studies and showed great interest in the sciences. Despite suffering from severe migraines, which led him to the hospital, where the boy spent his first year of study, Jenkins remained at the top of his studies.
When his mother found out about the opening of the Philadelphia boarding school for gifted students from single-parent families at Girard College, she invited him to apply there.
She said that she liked the extracurricular opportunities this school could offer, and she was happy when her son was adopted.
There, Jenkins joined the trial test program, the Council on Foreign Affairs and the basketball team. He also founded the Makers Space Club, an area with 3D printers, sewing machines and other independent work equipment that students can use to translate their ideas into reality.
University
When the university season arrived, Jenkins decided to try his luck and apply to Harvard.
He was on a school trip to Paris in late March, when he learned about the decision of the admissions committee. Jenkins opened several tabs on his computer, one for each university he was contacting. There were several failures. Opening Harvard, Jenkins saw the message: "Welcome."
He graduated in June as a graduate. Remembering his hard way, the young man advises other children with big dreams not to give up their aspirations.