A former homeless Florida high school valedictorian graduated with an 8.07 GPA despite the odds stacked against her, ABC News reported.
Jasmine Mazard-Larry, 17, stood before Dr. Kiran C. Patel High School’s graduating class of 2023 on May 13 and encouraged them to pursue their dreams no matter what.
“Rejection doesn’t mean you failed,” Mazard-Larry said. Let it be a tool to allow yourself to preserve and to not ever, ever, and I mean ever, give up on your dreams.”
The 17-year-old advised her classmates not to “let obstacles and what people say define who you truly are.”
Mazard-Larry of Tampa spoke from experience because many obstacles that most wouldn’t recover from came her way.
Mazard-Larry suffered hearing loss and was diagnosed with ADHD, which she thought made her look weak.
“I was a little embarrassed,” she said. “I didn’t really talk about it that much to a lot of people.”
But her recent achievements gave her a new perspective on her ailments. She no longer saw them as hindrances.
“They’re not setbacks. They allowed me to be who I am today,” she said.
Furthermore, Mazard-Larry’s family lost their home four years ago due to a fire. Her mom, Nidta Mazard, was nine months pregnant then, and the fire caused severe injuries to her dad.
Still, the 17-year-old didn’t allow such a traumatic experience to divert her focus.
“And here Jasmine, in the midst of it all, [started] high school,” Mazard said of her daughter. “Her behavior could have changed because of a lot of things that she was already going through, but instead, she used that as a light to help me because I almost died giving birth to my son.”
Her mom continued, “She’s been my light. She’s been my rock. I just love her so much because she’s inspired me to be a better mother and a better person.”
Her perseverance shocked her instructors and administrators. Mazard-Larry wasn’t an ordinary student. She was a beast tackling and excelling in her Advanced Placement and dual enrollment classes. She also enrolled in the Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education program, which boosted her GPA.
Mazard-Larry got involved with the student government association, speech and debate team, art club and student council for extracurricular activities.
In addition to her high school diploma, Mazard-Larry achieved an associate’s degree from a local community college.
“She’s really taken the initiative to go above and beyond,” Dr. Kiran C. Patel High School principal, Marlee Strawn, said. “She had this goal of being top in her class, and ultimately she met it.”
“She dealt with a really difficult situation, and…she didn’t allow it to stop her from meeting her goals,” Strawn said, referring to the Tampa teen’s house fire. “I think that’s really remarkable, and she was just very goal-driven from day one.”
Mazard-Larry says her inspiration to thrive came from her younger brother, who she hopes finds her as an inspiration.
“I use my little brother as my motivation. Sometimes it can be challenging, but I look at him, and I want to be a role model for him.”
College is the teen’s next step toward her ultimate goal, to become a doctor.
“We all have our own story,” she shared. “There’s the good and the bad, but don’t overlook the bad because it makes you who you are. In 20 [or] 10 years from now, you’re going to look back and be like, ‘I did that. I conquered all of these obstacles, and here I am today.'”
