From a humble blue collared worker to a Harvard graduate. It can happen. And it did for a man from Bowie.
Rehan Staton used to be a sanitation worker in Prince George's County, Maryland. But as of Thursday, he is a graduate of Harvard Law School.
As he crossed the stage to receive his degree, he received lots of big cheers.
“Congratulations!” he shouted as he, his brother and his cousin looked online to see whether he had been accepted.
Since graduation, Staton has made the most of his time at Harvard, keeping his eyes on his career goals, but also reflecting on where he’s been.
“I ended up becoming a garbage man. And that’s when my life changed forever,” he said.
Things have been challenging for much of Staton’s life. His father raised him and his brother, Reggie, as a single parent after their mother left.
“There were housing insecurities, food insecurities. A lot of times, we didn’t really know, were we gonna be able to keep our home,” Staton said.
Staton and his brother both took menial jobs as sanitation workers, but his brother eventually dropped out of college so he could afford to go.
After Staton’s story went viral in 2020, the actor Tyler Perry helped pay his tuition. The funds certainly made things easier, but he struggled with serious health issues too.
Now Staton's life is looking up and he has a job lined up at a law firm in New York.
“It's nice to be able to say that we finished this. Things are on an upward trajectory. We made people smile through it. I'm just excited,” he said.
Staton used to spend his mornings hauling trash before heading off to class at the University of Maryland. On some mornings, he didn’t even have enough time to change clothes.
His past is now behind him and he can look forward to a bright future.
Source: NBC Washington