One thing that my parents always told me was that success isn’t easy. It’s truly an uphill battle to become a success in the society we live in today. Nothing is handed to you. That’s just how life is. The structure of our existence is to work for what we want to obtain. However, we all experience varying circumstances. These circumstances threaten to derail us on our road to success. Not Latifah Sharpe, a Fall 2017 Fort Valley State University Graduate. Sharpe overcame homelessness on her road to completing her four year journey at Fort Valley State University, located in Fort Valley, Georgia.
Sharpe and her mother lived in a homeless shelter when she was in high school. Due to her circumstances, she grew in her Christian faith. Immediately after enrolling at FVSU, she knew she wanted to make a mark on this campus and inspire young women to live in their purpose. As a student on campus she worked with Campus Ministries and became a regular on the TRIO program for first generation college students. Soon after, she started her own outreach organization for first generation college students called “Butterfly Glory” where she held girl talks and motivated the young women of FVSU with her story of triumph. On December 9th, she takes her final bow as she walks across the stage and becomes an alumnae Fort Valley State University. From there, a whole host of other possibilities will open up for her. This won’t be the last time you’ll hear of Latifah Sharpe.
Latifah story is so powerful to me because she truly used the resources afforded to her at Fort Valley State University to advance her life. She stayed true to herself, not letting anything detract her from the vision that was afforded over her life. She wasn’t selfish in her success, as she took the time to impart wisdom on her younger peers. This is why she is the young woman that she is today. This is why she will be a force in this world. This is why she will be standing proud as a graduate of Fort Valley State University on December 9th.
I got the exclusive chance to cover her road to graduation. I also got a chance to do a one-on-one video interview with her. Below is a snippet from our talk, where she gave encouragement to young women in college now. There will be more coverage of Latifah Sharpe so stay tuned to HBCU Pulse for more!
