thedailyfeed:

Meet Dawn Loggins, an 18-year-old who went from a homeless dropout to a full ride at Harvard.

The journey for the 18-year-old began last summer when her mother and stepfather abandoned her. They dropped her off at a prestigious six-week summer school program and just never came back.

Loggins figured all she could do was go home to Shelby, N.C., for her senior year at Burns High School. Friends took mercy, letting her sleep on their couches. She hit the books hard, even enrolling in advanced placement classes. And she took a job at school as a janitor, cleaning before and after class.

“I’ve known I wanted to go to college ever since I was like 12,” she told The Daily. “I just made a decision to myself that I was not going to live like my family.”

Dawn Loggins had no problem being a bit of a social outcast. The now 18-year-old always embraced being a “nerd.”

.

It’s too bad her parents didn’t think so.

.

The Shelby Star’s Alicia Banks did a four-part story on Loggins, who, in a nutshell, was deserted by her mother and stepfather during the summer when she studied at a North Carolina school. 

.

Loggins was now homeless, but worse, she didn’t have a home to go to.

.

I don’t want to give away her story (Google her now!), but Loggins, probably without knowing it, showed incredible maturity and became an inspiration to thousands, if not millions.

.

Some of those inspired was North Carolina State University, Warren Wilson College, Davidson College and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

.

But none maybe more than Harvard, arguably the most prestigious, academic university in the world.

.

Through Tumblr, a blogging platform, and The Daily, an online news medium, it led me to Loggins. 

.

For journalists, Loggins should remind us great, poignant stories happen everyday — and it’s our honor and duty to report it. For marketers, Loggins should remind us the power of social media and technology.

.

But for all humans, Loggins should remind us that humanity can be seemingly cruel, but also can achieve the greatest good.

.

Please help out Loggins by sending checks payable to:

.

Burns High School/Dawn Loggins Fund

307 East Stagecoach Trail

Lawndale, NC 28090

Come Monday morning, I’m sending her a check.

.

And even though she wants to study animal habitats, if she wants to ask questions about journalism, social media, advertising and/or marketing, then I’ll help her out.

.

Congratulations, Dawn. Good luck in the future. You’re an inspiration to us all.

.

@sHecKii / tony@sheckiiville.com