Homeless New Orleans Black Teen Graduates as Valedictorian, And His Story Will Melt Your Heart

'Wherever you go, go with all your heart,' Elijah Hogan told his classmates in a speech.

A 19-year-old New Orleans student just proved that with hard work and determination, you can overcome almost any obstacle. Elijah Hogan graduated as one of two valedictorians of the class of 2024 at Walter L. Cohen High School. Hogan, who leaves Cohen with a 3.93 GPA and a college scholarship, did it all while living in a homeless shelter.

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“It’s been tough and rough, had a few trips and falls down, [but] I’m alright,” Hogan told “Good Morning America” in an interview.

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The teen, whose mother passed away just before he turned 12, had been living with his grandmother since age 11. But Hogan found himself homeless when the owner of the home she was renting decided to sell. He told CNN that he decided to find a place of his own while his grandmother moved into a home for the elderly so he wouldn’t continue to burden her.

From there, Hogan moved into Covenant House, a New Orleans-based homeless shelter for people between 16 and 22. At Covenant, Hogan was allowed to live rent-free while he pursued his diploma.

In his graduation speech, Hogan thanked the community at Cohen and his Covenant House case manager, Jarkayla Cobb, for helping him get closer to his dream. Cobb told “GMA” that she’s proud of how far Hogan has come.

“He was very shy. He had very little words at first, so it’s just awesome to see how much he’s developed and become so well-spoken over the last seven or eight months that I’ve been a part of his life and just been able to push and encourage him to go after everything that the world has to offer,” she said.

Next fall, Hogan plans to study graphic design at Xavier University in New Orleans where he received a tuition scholarship. He hopes his story serves as an inspiration to others that anything is possible.

Before moving on to his next chapter, Hogan left his classmates with a few words of advice. “Wherever you go, go with all your heart,” he said.