Tiffany Fields defying the potentially devastating effects of cerebral palsy, made the Honor Roll and is in the top 25 percent of her class.
Abandoned by his mother at age 13, Tariq Hurst turned his story of abandonment into one of success.
Many of our past recipients have attended or are enrolled in college. Several have gone on to rewarding careers.
A Soulsville student, Corey left gang membership and life on the streets, turning to academics and the viola. He now mentors young boys, helping them overcome peer pressure, drugs and gangs.
Joy described in her application a life where she was “mentally and physically abused.” She takes care of her younger brother and mentors and tutors younger students.
Javonta Porter, 17, a Melrose High School student, grew up with no father, surrounded by crime, gang activity and drugs. He is, however, president of the honor society and his senior class and is active in his church and community.
Sometimes beating the odds means overcoming a physical adversity. Tiffany Fields was stricken with cerebral palsy and was unable to attend school for several years. Despite this setback, she is ranked in the top 25 percent of her class at Sheffield High School and has made the honor roll on numerous occasions.
Although she is confined to a wheelchair and has difficulty writing and holding her head erect, Tiffany is setting her sights on the future, and she’s making plans to attend college, possible at the University of Tennessee at Martin.
“Tiffany has not let her handicap deter her from achieving her goals,” says Counselor Jane Keough. “She is liked and respected by her peers and by adults. She is an inspiration to all.”
James Wilkins was incarcerated when he was only 16 years old, facing four years of federal time. Many teenagers would have given up on their education, but Jason did not. He worked for his GED, and also earned six credit hours from the University of Tennessee. As a result of his good work, Jason serves as a mentor for new Shelby Training Center residents and tutors other inmates. He also completed an honors Culinary Arts program.
“Jason has defeated some very amazing odds,” says Principal James A. Clark. “He has displayed passion and courage unsurpassed by any other person I have ever met.”
As a result of this passion, Jason was named Student of the Month several times and has been accepted into Spaulding University and DePaul University. He also received a Leadership Scholarship from Boy Scouts of America.
Check out this great video chronicling Memphis "Beat the Odds" awardees past and present.
The Commercial Appeal - Left by his mother at age 13, Tariq Hurst has turned his story of abandonment into one of success. The Soulsville Charter School senior, standing in front of a display of college acceptance letters from fellow grads, was accepted to eight colleges. Tariq has worked very hard over the years, despite so many obstacles and barriers. He continues to be focused in really setting himself to complete his goals.” Photo: Jim Weber
Five years ago, Tariq Hurst received shocking news that changed his world. His mother, unable to find work in Memphis, was moving to California, leaving Tariq, then 13, and his younger brother here. The boys went to live with The Soulsville Charter School’s middle school principal, LaMonn Daniels. “She explained that she was trying to give me and my brother a better chance at being successful,” Tariq said of his mother. “Staying with the principal was the better option.”
Now 18, Tariq pushed past the emotions of that day and will graduate from high school (where all of the senior class has been accepted to a four-year college). Tariq will attend the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, on full scholarship. He helps teach children’s Bible study at church, helps keep the church clean and works part time at the Center for Southern Folklore.
At first, Tariq resented living with Daniels, but he eventually became the father figure Tariq never had. “He helped me really to become a young man, something that my mother probably couldn’t do,” Tariq said. “So I tried to look at the positives from the situation.” And Tariq has never lost contact with his mother. He called her on Mother’s Day.
“I’m so excited for Tariq,” Daniels said. “Tariq has worked very hard over the years, despite so many obstacles and barriers. He continues to be focused in really setting himself to complete his goals.”
By David Waters
USA Today - May 18, 2017- Five other young people and one adult were honored Thursday evening at the 24th annual Memphis "Beat the Odds" Foundation awards. Young people of all backgrounds and circumstances beat the odds against them every day in Memphis.
"Adversity can challenge anyone, anywhere, at any time," said Theresa Okwumabua, the foundation's co-founder and executive director. "These young people do more than survive; they thrive and make life better for themselves and others by the courage they exemplify."
John Cooper is blind in his left eye. He's endured more than a dozen surgeries on the eye to keep from having it removed. It likely will at some point.
"It took him forever to speak up and say he was having problems," said his mother, Rochelle Cooper. "He's kind of shy and he just wanted to be a normal kid."
Cooper said he didn't feel normal. "I was ashamed of having a disability and did not tell anyone that I was having trouble seeing," he said.
His teachers and administrators helped him by giving him extra lighting and time to read tests and turn in assignments.
His parents encouraged and helped him get involved. He's on the usher board at Polk Chapel CME Church. He participates in Bridge Builders. He joined the school band.
Cooper quietly learned to manage and adapt.He played baseball and golf left-handed so he could favor his good right eye.
He learned to play the drums "because it's an activity I can continue doing no matter how much my vision deteriorates," he said. "I consider that as my own personal attack on Coats' Disease."
Dukes has been waging his own personal attack on sickle cell for as long as he can remember.
He was born prematurely at 24 weeks. He weighed two pounds. Doctors did not expect him to live for 24 hours.
"He's always been a fighter," said his mother, Katherine Williams. "Nothing stops Christen, even when he's in horrible pain."
Like Cooper, Christen Dukes hid his condition from classmates as best he could.
"I did not want my classmates to know that I had sickle cell," he said, "because they would not understand what it was and would think it might be contagious."
His spirit is.
Samuel Edward Allen 2005
Mari Andrews 2016
Kiara Applewhite 2016
Tosia Arnold* 2002
Iquana Avant 1999
Mya Tocara Batten 1995
John W. Pryor Bannister 2002
Marcus Dewayne Buchanon 2013
Kiana Dawn Bobo 2000
Seantorrian Boyle 2019
Terrence D. Brittenum 1995
Amy Elaine Brown 2006
Josh Byars 2010
Justin Scott Carmichael 2003
Victoria Carson 1997
Lois Charm 2012
Deborah Christy 2012
Leon Clayton, Jr. 2000
Melvin Martin (Williams) Cole 2000
Yolanda Michelle Coleman 1999
John Cooper 2017
Derek Courmoyer* 1998
Jayanthi D. (Jaya) Cox 1999
Dekerrion Davis 2016
James M. Dempsey 2009
Liliana Diaz 2006
Keva Dixon 2006
Ahmed Dosumu 2011
Yuchen Dou 2007
Kristofer A. Dugan 1996
Christin Dukes 2017
Shawn Dunlap 2015
Derrick Dunnican 2018
George Dye 1995
Corey Austin Eldredge 2014
Diamond Alexa-Nicole Evans 2019
Nikko Evans 2004
Tiffany Renee Fields 2001
Angela Nicole Fillinger 1995
Christie Ford 2005
Amonique Franklin 2018
Justice Franklin 2013
Brent Frayser 2005
Kevin Michael Funderburk 2006
Ashley Nicole Garrett 2007
Jenna-Lee Geranios 2011
Celestine Gholston 1996
Nathalie Lopez Gil 2017
Hector Gomez 2009
Morgan S. Harris-Grant 2009
Jessica Farrasha Guy 2004
Markell Hardaway 1997
Maya Herndon 1997
William Hirsh 2004
Daira Hodges 1998
Melody Arielle Holmes 2017
April Marie Horne 2004
Toshika House 2002
Tariq William Hurst 2014
Lonnie Jackson 2001
LaCretia Jackson 2011
Randy Marco Jackson 1995
Jarvis Jenkins 1996
Derron Johnson 2000
Jacquez Johnson 2018
Princess Johnson 2014
Allie King 2009
Arthur Klemme 2003
Maria Knowles 1998
Josh Lee 2002
Shundreana Leonard 1997
Harlee Lowder 2013
Amirta Manikandan 2019
Manuel Mareno 2016
Mandy M. McDaniel 1998
Corian McLemore 2017
Robert James McVeigh 1999
Mikayla Meeker 2011
Richard Adams Mellon 1996
Victoria Meeks 2014
Kathryn Miller 2007
Maurice A. Miller, Jr. 2007
Emily Mitchell 2006
Tierra Moorehead 2010
Jane Mpayimana 2011
Kleopatra M. Millbrook 2015
Nadir Muhammad 2017
Wafa Rashid Musafa 2000
Joe Mulva 2018
Natasha Nelson 1999
Curtis Norwood 2003
Demareo O’Neal 2001
Travis Deshun O’Neal 2006
Angelique Nunn 2012
Curnisha Parker 2015
Charles Patterson, Jr. 2019
Alicia Peterson 2003
Arnold Pearce 2010
Ricario Phillips 2009
Wilson Philips 2002
Jevonte C. Porter 2014
Dellarontay Readus 2015
Christopher B. Roberts 2001
Ana Rodriquez-Vizcaino 2014
Gabriela Salinas 2005
Erica Sanders 2005
Michael Sarafolean 2007
Jason Thomas Sasser 2001
Nadia Scott 1999
Issac Sellers 2018
Alexie D. Smith 2004
Ashilyk Smith 2011
Ervin T. Smith 2007
Michael Smith 1998
Cherica Spenser 1997
Anthony Stevinson 1996
Mariah Stokes 2013
Tiffany Sumlin 2002
Barbara Thompson 2016
Lesa Tubbs 1995
Brantley Turner 2009
Kinnarone Vichathep 1995
Raynesha Ware 2018
Kelsea Washington 2017
Michelle Clark Washington 2013
Tanya Washington 1998
Ronald Watson 1997
Jayla Nycole Weaver 2015
Joseph White 2012
Alexisus Whitley 2007
James C. Wilkins 2001
Keishuna Shunta Williams 2019
Tamika Williams 2004
Tierra Monique Williams 2019
Lonnie Jackson Williamson 2001
Terrell M. Woods 2010
Rickie Works 2005
*deceased
1996
Littlefield, Jackie
1997
Deloris Davis
1998
Freda Martin
1999
Sarah Lewis
2000
William Shadish
2001
Marene J. Austin
2002
Renee Friemoth Lee
2003
Aretha King
2004
Angela Thomas
2005
Edward E. Redditt
2006
Armella Becton
2007
Lovell Cartwright
Memphis "Beat the Odds"
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