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A graduating high school senior in Texas who overcame adversity is headed to college on a full academic and athletic scholarship.
Zaylin Washington told KTVT that the odds haven’t always been in his favor.
While he was growing up, his parents spent stints in jail and Washington spent some time in foster care.
He also faced bullying in school.
“People would make fun of me, my clothes were ripped and too big,” Washington told KTVT.
In 7th grade, Washington joined the football team. In his team, he said he found a family and a support system.
“I felt a lot of pressure off my shoulders and stuff — like I had finally found a home,” he said of joining the team.
But he was still facing adversity.
When he was a sophomore at Nimitz High School in Irving, Texas, Washington said he experienced homelessness — a situation he hid the situation from his peers.
Eventually, a youth group pastor offered him a place to live.
Having spent time in foster care, the gesture meant the world to Washington.
“This was the first time someone chose me, not forced on them,” he explained to KTVT.
With stable housing, Washington took it upon himself to focus on his schooling — from an academic standpoint, but also on the field.
“I want to be more successful than anyone, anyone in my whole family. I wanted to complete high school, finish college. I wanted to prove them wrong,” he said.
Washington has received a full-ride scholarship to River College in California.
Washington said he’s learned a lot of life lessons and encourages folks to embrace help and support when it comes their way.
“People do want to help you. It’s not you versus the world,” he said.
See more of Washington’s story in the video player above.
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