Close Menu
  • Home
  • Holiday Loops
  • Advertise with Us
  • About & Contact
  • Good News
  • Get Involved
  • Podcast
  • Support Us

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest good news and other great things from STN.

What's Hot

Boy Given 1% Chance of Survival Walks 5k for Hospital That Saved Him–After Air Rifle Shot to the Head as Baby

June 30, 2025

Taking a Summer Break – Thank You for All the Support!

June 30, 2025

Check Out the Events this Weekend, June 27-July 7 Weekends in the Mahoning Valley

June 27, 2025
Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube
Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube
Spanning the Need: Good News, Inspiring, the Uninspired.
Subscribe Login
  • About
    • About & Contact
    • Advertise with Us
    • Legal
    • Vote
  • Holiday Loops
  • Podcast
  • Good News
  • Get Involved
  • Events
  • Support Us
Spanning the Need: Good News, Inspiring, the Uninspired.
Home » Good News » After Years of Walking at 4am to Haul Trash, He Graduated From Harvard Law School
Education

After Years of Walking at 4am to Haul Trash, He Graduated From Harvard Law School

STN StaffBy STN StaffJanuary 22, 2024No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr WhatsApp VKontakte Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

In 2020, the hard work of 18-year-old Rehan Staton, who worked for years as a garbage man to support a charge into Harvard Law School via classes at the University of Maryland.

Now, after years of a different sort of hard work, Staton has graduated and has a job lined up in a New York law firm.

A long journey of sweat and tears, and literal blood preceded his walk out onto the stage in a cap and gown, one in which he gave as good as he got.

The boxing analogies come from the fact that Rehan Staton excelled in the martial arts including boxing, winning several competitions until a rotary cuff injury put an end to that permanently. With grades so bad he was rejected from every college he applied to, the part where he took a job as a sanitation worker wasn’t rock bottom as one might expect.

After 8th Grader Walked to Graduation, an NFL Star and University Team Up to Give Him a Ride to College(Opens in a new browser tab)

“It was the first time in my life a group of individuals that weren’t my father or my brother just came around me and… really just empowered me, uplifted me, told me I was intelligent,” he said in 2020.

The sanitation team helped him to enroll, successfully this time, at Bowie State University, after which his grades improved from terrible to 4.0—landing him a spot at Maryland State U. His father would suffer a stroke years later, requiring Rehan to wake up at 4:00 a.m. to haul trash for payment of the medical bills and ensure he still had time for his studies.

This story, as NBC news reports, went viral on social media which attracted celebrity Tyler Perry to pay his tuition. He was accepted into Harvard for the 2020 semester. After that, he began to give back, befriending all the school janitors and other staff who were surprised he wanted to speak to them.

U.S. Air Force Gives Mannozzi Chance To Pursue Olympic Racewalking Dream(Opens in a new browser tab)

“She said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, students don’t talk to me. Students would rather look at the wall than talk to me,’” he recalled one worker telling him.

Starting a non-profit called the Reciprocity Effect that works with support staff affiliated with educational institutions, he was able to give out several prizes at organized ceremonies to honor them with recognition and awards. The non-profit helps to crowdfund financial assistance for these hard-working folks in the case of personal tragedies.

Group Cleans-up Enormous Amount of Trash Along Creek in Trumbull County(Opens in a new browser tab)

Now three years later, he has finally reached the end of a long hard road.

“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.

Source Link

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr WhatsApp Email
Previous ArticleCheck Out the Events this Weekend, January 19-21 in the Mahoning Valley
Next Article Rich Center for Autism Rockin’ For Their Cause with The Vindy’s
STN Staff

    Related Posts

    By STNMay 14, 2025 Education

    Cafaro Foundation Scholarships Awarded to 50 Students

    By STNMay 8, 2025 Education

    POTW: Education Edition: Jerry Turillo, Boardman Local Schools (Teacher Appreciation Week)

    By STNMay 7, 2025 Education

    #POTW: Education Edition: Ashley Kermec, Girard City Schools (Teacher Appreciation Week)

    By STNMay 5, 2025 Education

    #POTW: Education Edition: Melissa Hackett, Mahoning County Career and Technical Center (Teacher Appreciation Week)

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest good news and other great things from STN.

    Demo
    Recent Posts
    • Boy Given 1% Chance of Survival Walks 5k for Hospital That Saved Him–After Air Rifle Shot to the Head as Baby June 30, 2025
    • Taking a Summer Break – Thank You for All the Support! June 30, 2025
    • Check Out the Events this Weekend, June 27-July 7 Weekends in the Mahoning Valley June 27, 2025
    • Honoring Athena Nominees for 2025: Paula Baco, Rachael Dobson and Patricia Summers June 26, 2025
    • Man Is Overwhelmed with Emotion Trying Color Blind Glasses for First Time–‘My God. This is Amazing’ (WATCH) June 25, 2025
    Follow Us
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    Don't Miss
    News

    Boy Given 1% Chance of Survival Walks 5k for Hospital That Saved Him–After Air Rifle Shot to the Head as Baby

    By STNJune 30, 202502 Mins Read

    A boy who nearly died after he was shot in the head as a baby…

    Taking a Summer Break – Thank You for All the Support!

    June 30, 2025

    Check Out the Events this Weekend, June 27-July 7 Weekends in the Mahoning Valley

    June 27, 2025

    Honoring Athena Nominees for 2025: Paula Baco, Rachael Dobson and Patricia Summers

    June 26, 2025

    Man Is Overwhelmed with Emotion Trying Color Blind Glasses for First Time–‘My God. This is Amazing’ (WATCH)

    June 25, 2025
    Newsletter

    Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube
    • Home
    • About & Contact
    • Advertise with Us
    • Good News
    • Events
    © Copyright 2025. STN | Spanning the Need. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy & Legal Disclaimer. Website design by Gallagher Website Design

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Sign In or Register

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below.

    Lost password?