Having little money is something many Americans deal with on a daily basis. A fight for basic necessities is often a huge struggle, let alone thinking about going to college.

For one D.C.-area resident, college was always a dream. But the obstacles he faced would make it hard for him to get there.

But through hard work, family and friends, and even a little help from a movie star, the 27-year-old fought and made his way through Harvard Law School. 

It definitely wasn’t an easy road for Rehan Staton.

Ever since second grade when my mom ended up leaving, [my family] started to run into a lot of financial insecurities,” Staton said on “Good Morning America”.

Staton said his father worked hard to raise him and his brother alone. But the lack of money led to unstable, and often unsafe, housing.

“There were holes in the ceilings. There was black mold festering in the basement. There were a lot of areas in the house that didn’t have floors, it was literally below code, honestly. And the house didn’t have heat for almost a decade. It was a really bad situation,” Staton said.

At left is Rehan Staton during a work shift. Photo courtesy of Staton.

He said that his living situation caused issues in school.

I was hungry in class. I didn’t have food, heat, or electricity at home.”

After barely managing to graduate, finding a college proved difficult. So Staton went to work for Bates Trucking and Trash Removal – the place his father and brother had consistently worked at.

And the company didn’t disappoint. This gave him the stability and push to get into college. Staton said his co-workers gave him the courage to apply to more colleges, with him eventually getting into Bowie State University. He went on to transfer to the University of Maryland and graduated. But trouble struck again.

Following his graduation in 2019, Staton became sick and unable to work, which led to his family nearly losing their home. His father had been off work following a stroke, and had to go back to a job to save the home.

That was when Staton knew his life had to change.

“If I can get to a place that has the resources, it takes out the middleman,” Staton recalled thinking. “I can take care of the health issues. I can take care of the foreclosure. I can take care of my father being in a position in which he has to compromise his health. And I said, ‘Let’s get into Harvard Law School.'”

He began studying day and night, preparing to get into the school. But his finances, and illness, kept him tutoring to help him take the LSAT, as well as getting any tuition aid.

Rehan Staton, third from the left, poses with his family on graduation day. Photo courtesy of the Staton family

“My cousin would come over every single day, and he would hold, like, a cold rag over the back of my neck while I studied so I could distract myself from nausea, because I felt bad 24 hours a day,” he said. “I would study like that for hours.”

And in 2020, he made it into Harvard. His luck began changing. The viral video of Staton getting his acceptance found its way to actor and filmmaker, Tyler Perry. Perry reached out and did the unthinkable – offered to pay for Staton’s law-school tuition.

Staton has made sure that everyone that helped him get to this point would be honored. He has made sure to help his community, most recently raising more than $70,000 for Harvard’s janitors and support staff.

“At every point in my life, I can say it was through the act of someone’s reciprocity and the community that I was allowed to get to the next level,” Staton said.

Soon he will be moving to New York soon to work for a law firm in the city.

“Although I get credit for working hard, working hard was the easy part because that I could control,” said Staton. “But I just happened to be around people who cared enough about me.”

For a look at this hard-working young man, watch below!

Sources: Good Morning America | The Harvard Gazette