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Life Arts    H4'ed 5/24/15

Homeless Teen Named Valedictorian: 'Never Let Anyone Tell You That You Can't Do Something'

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Through homelessness, the death of his mother and numerous other hardships endured on his way to becoming class valedictorian, Florida high school student Griffin Furlong always clung to one belief.

"Just never give up,'' Furlong, who has long had that motto written on the bill of his baseball cap, told TODAY.com. "Never let anyone tell you that you can't do something, because I've been told that all my life. People would tell me I wasn't smart enough, and now I'm here at the top of my class."

Furlong, 18, will give the speech to his fellow seniors on graduation day for First Coast High School in Jacksonville on June 4, after finishing with a 4.65 grade-point average.

Family hardships have resulted in Furlong living in homeless shelters for varying stints since he was 7 years old, including staying in one for a period last month before he moved in with his girlfriend's family.
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Former small business owner now retired.

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