How many can say their mom used to just be their high school math teacher? For one student in Florida, United States, it took a few years of living in a group home before finding his own, thanks to his geometry teacher.
Robert Hurley was only 9 years old when he started to live in foster homes, as per FOX13 on April 19. His mother was a drug dealer while his father was a drug addict. Up until his sophomore year at the Boca Ciega High School in Gulfport, Hurley lived in a group home. He, however, had exceeded his one year of living in the home and had to be transferred elsewhere.
This was when his geometry teacher Amy Krusemark, who had a history of foster parenting, stepped in and decided to take him in.
“I got an e-mail from an administrator, and in the e-mail, they were asking if I could say something special on behalf of Robert,” Krusemark was quoted as saying.
“I learned that he was going to be in the court systems, and they were thinking about moving him out of the county, or maybe even out of the state, and he was looking for a teacher that could speak on his behalf,” she added.
Krusemark told Hurley he could move in with her and her family if he was interested — and the rest is history. Today, almost three years on, Hurley has been accepted to both Yale University and Stanford University, with full ride scholarships.
“I don’t think I could have even gotten into these universities without their help,” Hurley was quoted as saying.
Hurley is also graduating as valedictorian of his class and credits Krusemark for pushing him to reach his potential, even if it meant nagging him from time to time, as per Good Morning America on April 23.
“She held me to a very high standard,” he said in the report. “Amy knew my fullest potential was straight As, and if I ever got less than that, she would nag. But I responded well to that.”
Hurley wants to study chemistry for college and just recently took a trip to Yale with his family. He will also be visiting Stanford in the West Coast. Cody Cepeda/JB
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