Generally fair. Low 68F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph..
Generally fair. Low 68F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.
Updated: June 7, 2024 @ 5:50 pm
FOX13 Memphis Reporter
WATCH: Mid-South teen and St. Benedict at Auburndale graduate earns over $1 million in scholarships
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A Mid-South teenager is not only prepping for college but is also raking in scholarships to pay for his education, totaling more than $1 million.
18-year-old Brenden Driskill just graduated from St. Benedict at Auburndale in Cordova and is hoping to inspire others to reach for their goals.
“So I was on the principal’s honor roll all four years,” Driskill said. “I graduated 12th in my class.”
Driskill received two awards at his graduation: the Right Choice Award and the Christian Witness Award, the highest honor at the school.
Driskill is equally excited about another accomplishment: racking up more than $1 million in scholarship money from 12 different colleges.
“I am almost on a full ride to the school of my choice, which is the University of Tennessee Knoxville,” he said.
While he said he has worked hard for his accomplishments, Driskill doesn’t want to take all the credit.
“So, I’m a product of a teen mother, and she was actually able to go to college even after she had my sister and I,” he said. “And so, that’s one thing that motivates me every day because I know if my mom can do it, I can do it. So I think family is what keeps me going.”
Driskill said he also struggled with confidence in high school, but overcame that obstacle by writing his book, Waiting for Time’s Kiss. It’s a book of poetry, including one poem dedicated to his sister.
RELATED: Over 100 Whitehaven High School students earn college scholarships worth over $1M
“It was very heartfelt and so I think she got that message,” Driskill said. “I know for a lot of people nowadays self-confidence and self-esteem is something they struggle with and it’s something I struggle with. I thought it was really important to include in the book as well, and just to relay that message to my sister and to everybody else that they’re perfect just the way they are, and they’re worthy of love.”
Now writing his second book, Driskill is preparing to join his sister at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville to study Nursing.
He hopes his words and actions will inspire others to go after anything they set their mind to: “I would just tell them to keep it up and to never get discouraged and to always lead with your heart, to let your mind be right behind it.”
In April, FOX13 told you about more than 100 Whitehaven High School students who each earned more than $1 million in college scholarships.
You can find a scholarship portal for your child to apply here.
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